Pack of HeartlessCards
by PrincessIxi
Summary: Axel PoV Axel’s passed experiences in Organisation XII, from indroductions to number nine, to his death
1. Two of Heart

**Title: Lullaby**

**Genre: General/humour **

**Paring/s: -**

**Line: '**_**You just kissed me'**_

* * *

Water and fire never mix.

If you pour water onto fire, the fire goes out. If you light a match over a puddle of water, the fire becomes steam.

As a kid I always used to drive my mother mental. I was one of those kids that pulled off butterfly wings, and replaced them with leaves. Or set fire to a cat's tail just to see its eyes widen and run off with a screech.

Opposites attract. As they say. I'd sit on my bed, and glue the negative sides of magnets together, just to prove they _could_ go together. Once I used a too powerful magnet, and it broke away from the glue and gave me a black eye for a month.

And I've always been told that water and fire don't go together.

I've always had a strange fascination for fire. I'd sit and watch the fire grate till the coals burnt to glowing embers. I'd sit there until I scorched my nose, or absentmindedly put my hand into the flames.

When my hands were covered in burn scars and toughened to sand paper quality, I'd decided I wasn't going to let water ride over fire. I knew enough that bush fires couldn't be put out by water alone, it was to strong for that. I also knew that if you put a flame-thrower to water, it lights up for a few moments.

I knew that because I'd done it. When my mother found out I had a flame-thrower in my closet, that was the tip of the iceberg. I wasn't entirely upset when she died the next day. Mostly because I died along with her. Irony of it all was that we died in a house fire. That I started.

One of the many things I hate about the Organisation, is the curse they give you as a welcome wagon(1). Number two got shot. Number three got torn apart in a hurricane. Number Four got frozen in an unfortunate freezer accident.

I died by burning alive. So I got fire powers.

* * *

The castle was buzzing. Zexion was beside me, working on the latest report. The field mission we'd been on a few days ago was pretty strange. I remembered it had a lot of deer's, and I'd had the funny urge to butt my head against walls once I got back to the castle.(2) I've always wondered on how Zexion can see with that curtain of hair shrouding his eye. Every time I ask, he acts like he doesn't know what I'm talking about.

I gave his side a dig, and asked about why everyone's so worked up. He glanced a me through his hair. "Number Two found one wondering around in the Darkness. He's coming today."

I perked up slightly. Somebody lower than me who I could kick around. "Have you seen him?" I asked eagerly.

"I have his folder," a Dusk appeared, carrying a large white folder. Zexion snatched it off its head. I waved it off. The last time I read one of those, I nearly had a coma. Zexion made a; _suit yourself_ gesture then gave the folder back to the huffing Dusk.

After a close interrogation, I'd found out that 'Number Nine' was coming in a few hours, and Number One was meeting him. After that he'd be with the Number One and Two for a while, then he'd be let out to get used to us.

It was hard to tell the time in The World that Never Was, so I was perched on one of the couches over looking the main doors way before Number Nine arrived, cheek on the window glass.

Zexion was up against me, his joints in all sorts of painfully places. Like my liver for one. Every time I tried to shift, he'd jab harder. He was probably trying to get back at me for something, but I couldn't think what.

The book he had his nose in had blank pages. It was probably an illusion that only he could read. I was trying to work out if it was really boring, or really dirty.

Finally, a flicker of movement caught my eye in the street. A Darkness portal was just dissolving, and I recognised the lethal figure of Number Two, a second, shorter, hooded figure next to him. Xemnas had his hood down, and he met the two with an acknowledging gesture.

"Hey, Zexy, what's his scent?" I asked, pulling him around by his hood. The book disappeared once his concentration was broken. He ducked under my arm, and peered out the window. His hair brushed my chin as he lent close to the glass, starting to fog it up.

Zexion was silent for a long time.

"Zexion?" I was very tempted to smack the back of his head, just to see his forehead crack against the glass.

"Sea breeze, sand, salt…. He smells like the ocean."

* * *

I'd learnt that his name was, Demyx. I also hadn't seen him in the two days he'd been here. Which was pretty amazing seeing as his room was in the same corridor as mine.

Sometimes, when the Castle was asleep, I'd hear strange music floating from his room. I'd sit bolt upright, and if I had one, heart beating a mile a minute. The music was low and haunting, and it's chased around my head, letting me get no sleep for the night.

I'd had it on the third night. I ripped back the covers, and got out of bed. The player had stopped hours ago, but the music was still bugging me. I groggily left my room, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Along the corridors, I made my way to the kitchen. Something to eat would surly help. It's amazing how many of the Organisation members literally live off the kitchen. The most common person for night-time, was Sai'x. He'd normally be sitting at the bench, eating milk and cookies. Wordlessly, he'd pass over the plate, and hand me the half-empty carton of milk. I wouldn't care if the carton had been passed his lips; it's not like I was going to catch anything off him. The first time I'd done that, he'd given me the oddest look. "You just kissed me." It took me till the next morning to work out what he was getting at.

Occasionally I'd find Xemnas making some hot chocolate for himself, or Xigbar munching on cereal, swearing that it helps him get to sleep.

I'd come across Zexion, passed out on the tabletop, surrounded by mountains of equations, and graphs, a dozen or so cups of coffee by his elbows. Once I'd been kind enough to put a blanket over him, and another time I actually carried him to him room. Normally he'd jump awake if I opened the refrigerator door, or got out plates and cups.

This time I found no one. Kind of glad, I started to boil some water, and rummaged around looking for the coco. Nights like these called for chocolate. Finally I found the packet, hidden behind some over rip bananas, and was about to grab a cup when a voice came from behind me.

"Axel?"

I probably would have dropped the cup and hit my head on the cupboard ceiling.

The voice was timid and hesitant. No way was it one of my superiors. Maybe Zexion would have used that tone in this situation, but he always called me Number Eight.

I turned around, holding a mug with cows all over it. I'd love to know where Xemnas got all this stuff.

Ever since Zexion told me what his scent was, I've been trying to picture him. Well, it wasn't this. He was wearing the trademark pyjamas of the Organisation, a simple turquoise one with a hood. I dunno who designed our pyjamas, but I want to shot them. Our pyjamas seem to try and match our 'theme'. Mine are red, Xemnas's are silver, Xigbar's are purple etc. I think Xigbar got a raw end of the deal, but I pity the person who gets pink. If I was to pull up my hood, you'd see it comes with cat ears as well. I'd protest if they came with cattail as well.

Demyx couldn't have been much younger than I was. My best bet was that he was at least seventeen when he died. Demyx was the kind of person I used to pick on when I was a Somebody. Just the way he looked and acted screamed at me to punch him in the face.

I was surprised he knew my name. But I guess the others had warned him. Flaming red hair. He's a crazy one. Don't get in his way. My superiors liked to focus on my bad points.

"What?" I tried not to sound rude, as I turned back to my boiling water.

I'd already guessed what was wrong. "I'm lost," ding ding. "You're in the same corridor as me…" he trailed off. Well I got the main idea of what he was aiming at.

"You'll have to put up with my midnight snack," I informed him, getting out a carton of milk. I jiggled it around. Judging by the hollowness, Sai'x had been at it. And judging by the bite marks around the edge, he hadn't used a glass either. "Then I can take you to your room. Want a mug?" I offered. Demyx gave me a blank stare. I waved a mug in his face.

"Uh, sure," he mumbled, pulling up a chair.

"And I hope you don't mind Sai'x germs as well," I added, sure that there would be enough milk for two. I was greeted by more silence. "Number Seven. He's got blue hair and a X like cut over the bridge of his nose." He made a noise that he knew what I was talking about, but didn't like it. "Don't worry, I've shared with him before."

Demyx gave me this odd look.

I sighed and turned back to the water that was ready. On impulse, I decided to play a party trick I've done many times. "Hey, Demyx. How long do you think you can put your hand on the jug for?"

"It would burn my hand," he said nervously.

"Well if you can last longer than me, I'll give you something special," I think he obeyed me more out of that I was his Superior than anything else. I smirked slightly when he came up along side me. "Give me your hand." The trick went that I'd put my hand on the jug first. It didn't hurt because I was fire. Normally the second person would jump at the change to best me. Unfortunately mullet-boy wouldn't play by my old rules. He seemed far to timid for that.

"W-what?" He said, blushing. Was I making him that jumpy? Snatching up his hand, I stretched it out.

"One, two, three," and put it flat on the steaming hot metal. There was an almighty hiss from the contact, and Demyx started to squirm in immediate discomfort. Stubbornly, I held it firmly in place. He started to writhe a little more, starting to whimper with the pain. Deciding I'd tortured him enough, I let go. Demyx yanked his hand away from the metal, and took a few steps away from me. "Your such a baby," I said, and casually put my hand on the jug. It was pleasantly warm; I probably could have made it hotter. Demyx was staring at me like I had two heads. After ten seconds of my leaning on the jug, he spoke up.

"It doesn't hurt you?"

I showed him my other hand, and made a flicker of fire dance on it. His eyes shone with the flame. "Nope. It's like a luke warm bath," I took my hand off, and inspected it. There were a few scorch marks, but it looked pretty okayish. I swiped my tongue across the marks to help the burning sensation.

I filled the mugs with the water, and put in the coco and milk swirling them together with a spoon. I thrust the second cup into his chest. "Cheers," and walked to the table. Demyx sat opposite me, flexing his burnt hand. I didn't bother asking him how it was. That emotion was false anyway.

He was staring into his cup, eyes transfixed on the water. I was going to ask if he was looking for tealeaves, by a slight movement stopped me. I swear my eyes were playing up, but the water inside the cup was starting to move.

"Uh, Demyx?" I asked. He looked up, the water sloshing back down. "What are you doing?"

In answer, he called up a large bulky object. It was deep blue, fat at one end, and got skinny at the top. It must have been some sort of instrument, because he started to pick at the strings. At once, water from nowhere started to swirl up and around him, taking shape sometimes, or just staying as water. The notes he played where the same as before. Beautiful and haunting.

I'd started to close my eyes. The music stopped abruptly. I banged my head on the table. "That happens a lot," he said, mouth curving into a smile. I wondered if he was talking about him cutting off so abruptly, or people smacking their foreheads. I grunted, not wanting to resurface with my face so red. He probably did that on purpose.

"Is that a guitar or something?" I asked, deciding it was safe to come back up. If he had water powers, it was obvious to why the jug had steamed so violently when he'd touched it.

"It's a sitar," for a moment I thought I'd miss heard him, and he's said guitar twice. "I used to have one back when I was alive," he said, looking gloomy.

"Is that why your music's like that?" I asked. He choked on his drink.

"What?"

"Your music's sad," I knitted my fingers together, resting my chin on the. "You're obviously missing your home," his eyes dropped to the floor, his finger idly playing with the wet rings the mug had made. "It happens. It didn't with me at first, because I'd lost everything, so I had nothing to go back to. But it just hits you one day. I'm nothing. I shouldn't exist. Nobody cares about me."

"But that's not true, is it? We must feel something, or we'd go around as empty shells."

"I'm good at acting," I sniffed, draining the last of my drink. Demyx decided to stay quiet, having said enough. "Time for bed," I said, getting up, and taking the mugs. Demyx obediently followed. I dropped off the mugs for the Dusk's to clean, then played follow the leader for a while.

"Well, I'll never get to sleep after all that," I happily informed Demyx, as I stopped to say goodnight at my door. He hovered for a second.

"I could play for you."

"Excuse me?"

"My sitar, to help you sleep."

"Just no sad stuff," I let him in, shutting the door once his heel was over the threshold. It felt incredibly strange from somebody younger than me, to be sitting on the edge of my bed, literally singing me to sleep.

The sitar appeared once more, and Demyx started to play. The tune was different this time. It was still haunting, but it flowed a lot more easily, and it washed over me like a tidal wave. Enclosed in the warmth of the sheets, I started to drift off, listing to the notes ringing around my head.

The next morning, I woke up with a snoozing Demyx beside me.

* * *

**END**

**Hell, I didn't even get my point across xD I changed my mind halfway through the bloody fiction, so the start and middle don't work at all **

**Anyways. **

**This is a random little arc I started one day, and it's started to just flow from that day. I'm having a smallish problem with the lastest, because it's so big, but I'll get there... It's always through Axel's eyes, and for the first few parts it's mainly about his and Dem's relationship... it's very touch and go and Axel gets rather nasty with him towards the end. And nuuu, this ain't slash. But by all means flip it up any way and you'll find heaps on implied stuff xD**

**This… isn't the first arc. There's one before that explains a lot of holes. If anyone wants to see it, just tell me, or I won't bother because I still need to alter it. A lot --;**

**And between these, are random little fillers I might just shove up because I wrote them back in the day.**

**1. That's not true…. to become a nobody, you loose your heart to darkness bla bla. In later chapters it'll make more sense **

**2. Guesses? It's pretty obvious**

**-Ixi**


	2. Three of Heart

**Title: Like a Puppy**

**Genre: General/humour **

**Paring/s: -**

**Line: **_**Not matter how many times you try and smush him, he just won't die!**_

****

* * *

****

The snow globe was quite depressing. Little Santa's head had been severed off, lying to one side, snow collecting on his red hat.

"Number Eight."

The thatch house was riddled with cracks, and the glass windows had been smashed in by a rock probably thrown by a kid.

"Number Eight!"

And Rudolph's nose was whittled down to a little nub, hollow eye sockets staring blankly at its headless master.

"_God damnit_, Axel! Put that _down_, and _listen_!!"

I decided to grace the speaker with my attention. I replaced the snow globe on the rich oak desk, beside a metronome. I drew my eyes to the radiant face of Number One. Yes. That was sarcasm. He looked like an agitated cat, tail bristling and ears twitching. "Your as bad as Number Two. Your mind going a mile a minute."

I brushed this comparison with a flick of my head, tossing back a few disobedient hair strands. "I heard you the first time." Xemnas has this idea that I was the best person for taking out newbies to the field. Zexion was my first and last crash course in finding out that, no, I don't have patience for that kind of thing.

"Your expendable," I caught the last part of his rant. Actually, all of us were that, and then some. But he'd rather bump off the newies than the oldies. "He doesn't even have his Nobody yet," he thrust a piece of paper at me. I raised an eyebrow as I skimmed down the page. To put it bluntly, it was like a timetable. Demyx timetable. "Dismissed."

* * *

I found Demyx with Xigbar. The Freeshooter must have been explaining something to him something, because Demyx was hanging on to his every word. He always reminds me of a puppy, Demyx. No matter how many times you kick him, he still comes back.

"Axel," Xigbar broke off in mid-sentence, glancing over Demyx's head at me. "What do you want?" Demyx immediately turned around, a smile gracing his lips. I couldn't imagine why he was happy to see me. He clung onto my waist, grinning up at me. My thoughts on sitting down where dismissed after that. Demyx also reminds me of a burr. You can't shake him off.

Xigbar was watching us with a smirk dancing on his face.

Well if Demyx is the puppy, Xigbar is defiantly a cockroach. Not matter how many times you try and smush him, he just won't die!

"I came to pick up, Demyx," said person blinked, being left out of the loop until now.

"What? No chocolates, flowers?" Xigbar looked around in mock surprise. "Heck, you don't even need to ask my permission. Though you are here… so get down on your-"

"It's not a fricken date, you bastard!" I found myself shouting. Demyx had the courtesy of letting me go as I tried to strangle Xigbar.

"Who said it was," Xigbar warded me off, grinning all the while. Scoffing, I withdrew and dragged Demyx out of the room. The crisp tap of our boots was the only noise we made as I led Demyx down the whitewashed corridors. I was silently glad Demyx hadn't said anything yet. God knows what he was thinking of me now.

My brain was still suffer from that episode, that I'd forgotten where we were supposed to be going. It took a lot of unnecessary back tracking and thought to get us back on track. Finally Demyx spoke up.

"Uh, where are we going, Axel? We're not really g-going on a-"

"No!" Would you call it naivety? Or he couldn't take Xigbar's nasty hints as a jest.

"Then, could you?-" he looked down at his hand, looking like it was being crushed in a vice by my own. I quickly let go, going bright red. Was I just radiating off the wrong message today?

Thankfully we had reached out destination. It was a small black door, smaller than the rest of the doors in the corridor. It was marked the Nobody symbol. Twisting the door knob, I let Demyx in first. The room was plain white, as always, and it had descending stairs into a pit like arena. Bright lights banished all the shadows.

Demyx stood nervously on the edge of the pit, looking into it.

"There are no lions," I assured, clicking the door shut behind me. He flashed a wavering grin over his shoulder. "Welcome," I added, waving around the room with out stretched arms. "This room doesn't have a name, but it's the one that creates new Nobodies," I clicked my fingers, and a dozen Assassins appeared behind me.

Demyx took a hasty step backwards, and promptly fell off the pit edge. I winced at the multiple thumps and the final crash as he hit the bottom in a spectacular roll. I jumped down to make sure he was still alive. All of his joints seemed to be in the right direction, and he was still breathing.

"Owie, my back."

Yup. Defiantly still alive and kicking. He managed to sit up, but cringed with the action. I knelt down and inspected him with my eyes. "Anything hurt?"

"Apart from everything?"

"Apart from everything."

"My elbow," he straightened it out, and it popped in it's socket. I had a feeling he was yanking my chain, but I felt the joint anyway. I'm no doctor, but I think he'd just knocked it on the way down. Heaving a sigh, I put on a grim face.

"Sorry, Dem, but I'm going to have to cut it off."

Demyx's eyes widened, and I honestly thought he was going to start crying. "W-what?!"

"Done some serious damage to the tendons. So off it comes," I called up my weapons. Casually, I slipped back his sleeve, revealing his arm. All the time Demyx's eyes had managed to double in size. Which was making it harder on me to keep a straight face.

"Are you serious?" A last attempt to stop me, he gave me his saddest eyes possible. To bad that only works if you have a heart.

I put the tip of one of the many spikes to his joint.

With a squeak, he knocked the object out of my hand, and griped my collar tightly. Heck, he was almost on my lap in his desperation to stop me maiming him. Was this the climatic point? I kind of ruined it by laughing so hard my ribs ached.

Demyx was not happy with me after that. He sat in sulky silence as I explained how the room worked. It was very frustrating to teach someone whose trying very hard not to listen to you. I suddenly felt a rush of sympathy to Xemnas, and vowed to always listen to him for now on. Well, maybe.

"Demyx!" I yelled for the fifth time. "Are you listening to me?"

With a small huff, he turned his nose up at me. I wanted to punch his lights out for that. This was clearly going know where. I summoned back my chakrams, and took a swing at him with the blades.

There was a nasty rip, and Demyx managed to jump backwards. I caught a little of his clothing however.

"What the hell was that for!" First time Demyx had come close to yelling before. At least I had his attention now.

"Oh look, you're talking to me," I said, spinning a chakram on my index finger. Xemnas had told me to practise his fighting abilities, so I guess this was the perfect time to do it. "Get out your sitar."

"I'm not fighting you," he said, looking stubborn. He had crossed his arms defensively. I took another slash, ripping apart the fabric on his shoulder. He dropped his arms sharpish.

"I'm not bothered hurting you," I warned. "Honestly, Demyx, your such a-"

WHAM!

A column of water sent me spinning into the back wall. I swear my shoulder blade popped out for a second. It was back in by the time I'd recovered. "Better." I looked back over at Demyx, but he looked a lot weaker than before. He wasn't used to using a large amount of power in one go. The ground was slipper and wet, making it hard to walk. I shifted my power to my feet, and soon the water was steaming up. The air got a lot thicker. Demyx was backing away, looking frightened. Clearly fighting was not his strong point. Before all the puddles evaporated, a clone was rising up out of the water. A faceless sheet of water faced me, looking a lot more threatening than it's original self.

There was a small pop, and a bubble of solid water burst over my hair. My hair flattened at once, blinding me. His attacks were cute, but they only irritated me further. At once strong, slimy arms were forcing me at the wall, holding me steady. Stupid clone.

"You loose," the sharper end of the sitar was pointing at me.

"I don't think so," I tossed my chakram. There was a loud tearing of material, and Demyx's coat was split up the middle, bring with him a fresh amount of blood. With an alarmed squeal, Demyx fell over, the clone splashing away.

My anger got the better of me. I pounced at once, landing on top of him, ready to bash the hell out of that pretty face. I must have crossed some line, because Demyx showed a surprisingly amount of strength, and flipped me. Our weapons were long gone, and it had developed into some kind of cat fight.

I struggled as his palms dug into my shoulder joints. Finally I got my leg free, and kicked him hard in the jaw. He backed off then. I got up awkwardly, watching as Demyx inspected his now ruined coat. From about his rib cage up, it had split along the zipper exposing his bare chest. There was a nice gash from my chakrams, and blood all over the place. The human body sure bleed alot from the smallest of knicks.

I licked my lips nervously. Xemnas was going to kill me for this. I don't think I was supposed to physically hurt him. When I'd trained with Sai'x, we'd only channelled my fire powers. At least I knew he was a tough little cookie.

"What am I going to do about this?" Demyx wailed helplessly.

"I'm sure we've got spares. Somewhere," I said, just as helplessly. I pulled him to his feet. The neck kept slipping down his shoulders because of how it had been cut. I looked round the room, hands on hips. There were blood smears all over the place. I tried to ask Demyx to use water to clean it up, but he gave me a filthy look in reply.

Leaving it, hoping the Dusks would clean it up, I opened up a Darkness portal and shoved Demyx in. We reappeared in my room. It was perfectly tidy, thanks to the Dusks. I ordered him to sit on my bed, and I went to get the first aid kit. It was very risky to try out potions on new comers. We didn't know how they would react. Some of us were allergic. Like me. Poor

When I came back in, Demyx was fiddling with the bed sheets. Frowning, I sat cross legged next to him. "Let me look at the cut."

"It's not deep."

"I know. But it'll get infected."

"It's fine."

"I need to clean it, Demyx!"

He gave his best 'make me' face, and hunched up his shoulders. Was this all because I'd laughed at him? Demyx was normally a pretty forgiving guy, so I doubt it. I got out the disinfectant, with an equally stubborn look. "Last chance," I said, waving the cream under his nose. Before he could answer, I shoved him down. Actions speak louder than words. I wrestled to get the cream on him.

Of course that's when the door opened. I was starting to wonder if my day could possibly get any worse.

"Ugh… what are you doing?"

I somehow managed to turn the bad position into a good one. "Perfect timing, Zexy. Get over here and help me," I was willing to bet Zexion's jaw would have hit the floor in astonishment. Good thing he had a little more composer than that.

He also had the politeness to not ask why Demyx was bleeding from multiple wounds. Demyx was red from embarrassment, and humiliation from being held down by two men, just to have dressing applied.

* * *

Demyx had gone off with Zexion to find new clothes. Mean while all I got was a trip to Xemnas' office.

Xemnas was furious. He didn't care what started the fight, because that didn't mean I had to go and attack him like that. No matter what I said, tried to justify myself that I was innocent, he wouldn't listen.

I slumped miserably into an armchair. I felt like I was the victim of some horrible murder. What had I done to get Demyx so anti towards me? And now Xemnas was breathing down my neck. Well whatever it was, I wasn't going to own up to it. Demyx was the one who needed to grow up.

Was I contradicting myself?

I sighed again, and restlessly flopped over the arm of the chair. My hand brushed over something. Poking up my head, I looked down. Xigbar's head was looking up at me. He'd transported half his body through a darkness portal.

"I've got your next assignment with, Demyx," he said, a hand appearing holding some files. "Xemnas also says to go back to that room, and get his Nobody."

"Well go give the job to, Zexion, because Demyx's has gone off with him."

"Heck, first date and he's cheating on you." Xigbar had the courtesy to wriggle the rest of the way out, and sat cross legged on the floor.

"Of for- argh, nevermind..." I was too weary to argue the whole date thing. "I don't even know what I did wrong!"

"Must have been bad to get Demyx on your bad side," Xigbar nodded. "Have you thought about saying sorry?"

"He doesn't have a heart, he shouldn't be feeling upset!"

Xigbar gazed at me steadily. "Must be a good actor," and disappeared.

For some reason, that really pissed me off.

* * *

The lampshade was on; letting me read my book in a warm glow of light. It was night, and I still hadn't made up with Demyx. I hadn't seen him for the rest of the day. Grumbling, I turned the page, and took a swig from a milk carton I'd nicked from the fridge earlier that evening.

There was a shy knock at the door. I looked up. Hardly anyone dared go into someone's room at night. Demyx was by the door, looking edgy. I put down my book and invited him inside. With a snap, the door clicked shut.

"What's up?" I said, like we'd never fought a few hours ago. Ouch, that hurt. I drew up my knees as he sat down on my bed. He was looking pretty miserably himself.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"For being a kid?"

"Axel!"

"Hey, I'm not the one saying sorry."

We looked at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing. The atmosphere got a lot lighter after that. "Um, why did you get so upset about that anyways?"

Demyx opened his mouth, probably to answer, then closed it. He winked and put a finger to his lips. "It's a secret."

I rolled my eyes. I offered him the milk carton. He looked at it suspiciously. "Did you drink from this?"

"Of course. Who uses glasses?"

"Most civilised people."

"Your not gonna get Axel-germs, if that's why your worried," Demyx screwed up his nose, but took a draft anyway.

"You just kissed me," I echoed Sai'x's words as I snatched the carton back off him.

"Would have been better if I could have done it properly."

Demyx chose the exact moment when I was taking the last of the milk. I spat the whole thing out at once.

"Got you," I chucked the empty carton at his head.

"That's so-"

"What?"

"…"

"Gay?"

"Yeah."

"I know."

He happily crawled in beside me, and hugged me close, complaining to turn off the light. Later that night, my good mood had vanished and I'd pushed him out of my bed.

Demyx always reminds me of a puppy. No matter how many times you kick him, he always comes back.

* * *

**END**


	3. Four of Heart

**Title: Disowned **

**Genre: General/Humour **

**Paring/s: -**

**Line: '_Demy-Demy-decibel'_**

**Disclaimer: I forgot to put this before now, heh. I own nothing. If I did, I'd be paying someone to write this for me xD**

**And this is dedicated to very talented artist who gave me this idea from one of her pictures**

* * *

Everything has to come from somewhere.

The World that Never Was, is no expectation. The food, clothes, chairs, lounge suits, televisions, computers, folders, CDs, cards, board games, I-pods, blankets, curtains, clocks, paper, pens, books in the fiction, or non-fiction genre all came from somewhere. Once a week, one of us was sent off to pilgrim a few cartloads of junk that the others had listed. Most of the stuff was pretty normal. Items of clothing, pads of paper, a new encyclopædia, or a replacement of Sai'x's favourite cup. But some of the stuff was pretty abnormal.

Every time I tried to ask, they'd give me that; _ask us no questions, and we'll give you no lies_, speech. And sometimes I just didn't want to know.

Xigbar had once wanted manacles, for God knows what purpose. He was also very pacific about it. I was surprised he hadn't told me what nicks, and scratches had to go on what loop of chain.

And some of the Organisation just didn't care. Zexion had once said to surprise him. I'd obliged by bringing back an octopus. Alive and wriggling. Unfortunately, he'd got back at me by tampering with my dinner. It was quite a shock to find a tentacle in my soup. I had to run to the bathroom pretty quick after that.

The second job with the foraging is to bring back food. Most of the time the food is pretty tame, though the Organisation hate it when I bring back all kinds of hot spicy food from the Agraba market place. I personally dread Demyx's turn. He always brings back an assortment of seafood. I can stomach small amounts at a time, but not over a week's span. Though dumping half the mayonnaise on it always makes things taste a lot better.

The most uncommon thing for us to bring back are animals. Sometimes a stray bird flies in after us and stays for a few days, twittering around the banisters. Or as long as it can with Xigbar on the prowl. Anything that moves, Xigbar will shoot down. Birds are a rare delicacy.

A few times a too curious cat will enter in after us, sniffing at the darkness. They last a lot longer than the birds. One hung about for a few months. Some of us enjoyed the company of someone who didn't talk back. But the cat had the habit of stealing milk out of the fridge. Nobody was very happy when we found out the habit. I found the cat hanging up the right way on a beam. It had an extension cord around its throat.

"Dead cat say's what?" Xigbar has kicked the body into one of the main drains when I'd called the others.

Larger animals hardly came through. Though once a dairy cow followed Xemnas back to The World that Never Was. The thing even followed him to dinner. Everybody was too nervous to ask about it. A lot of glances were thrown at each other. Finally Sai'x had casually broken the silence. "Something's on your shoulder, Superior."

The cow had started to drool on him. At least it made dinner a lot more pleasant.

It was a first when a dog had come to the Castle. It was half my fault. The World I'd gone to was very odd. It was a perfectly normal London suburb, but Junkyard dogs were the main focus. In a sense. I'd hardly noticed when something furry fell into my hood when I was exiting the world, just from seeing a Doberman and a grey mongrel arguing over a smaller grey pup. I was shattered as I re-appeared back in my room. I shed my cloak, and hardly gave it a thought as it yelped when it hit and missed the clothes rack. I put the pillow over my head, and was dead to the world until I was good and ready to greet it once more.

I was woken up, not by the sunlight, it's never sunny in the Castle, but by the movements in the other rooms through the wall. The Dusks never got round to putting those sound proof walls up. I frowned. Normally I wouldn't be woken up by something as petty as somebody else moving about. My numb senses finally came too as something started to lick me on the neck. I wriggled away from the wetness, giggling slightly. I was not proud of that. I do not giggle. The persisting licking started up again.

My brain started to speed up, sleep leaving me. Who ever was doing that, had to be somebody in the Castle. Who else was here? And putting two and two together, I sat up fast, cracking my head on the bedpost. Something small tumbled off me, falling off the bed with a yelp of surprised.

Drawing out the fact nobody was that small, I guessed it might be a Nobody. I've never seen a Nobodies tongue, but they might have one for all I know. Where they store it is beyond me.

The thing wormed its way out from my clothes, and sat up. Scratch the Nobody theory. It was a puppy. It had large dewy eyes, and terrier like ears. It was a mutt for sure. And it probably could have fitted into the palm of my hand, a few paws hanging over maybe.

I wouldn't even class the puppy in the dog category. 'Real' dogs are at least up to your thigh, and their eyes aren't so big. When I was a Somebody, I'd owned two huskies, and a Shikoku Inu. In my opinion, they were the best dogs in the universe. I guess they were the only things I could go back to if they'd survived the fire. I hoped they did. They were trained to not be scared of fire because of me.

_"Axel! What do you wanna be when you grow up?"_

_ "I dunno. Maybe a policeman. They deal with dogs." _

_"Ew… your dogs are scary. And you're always getting into trouble. Nobody would want you as a policeman."_

_"As if. Stick out your hand and see."_

Anyway, the… rat just looked up at me, and cocked it's head to one side. I guess to most people it would have been 'cute', but I thought it was just being a nuisance. I kicked off the sheets, and snatched up my clothes, unsettling the puppy. It emerged from under my bed, carrying a head full of lint. By the time it had waddled over to me, I was attacking my hair with a brush. Sleeping with your head under a pillow does wonders to your hair.

I sucked in my breath as the comb disappeared into a stubborn knot. The puppy started to pull on the hem of my cloak. "Go away," I resisted the urge to kick it. That didn't last long. On the fifth tug, I'd had it. I pull back my foot to give it one hell of a kick. My temper is always on a short fuse.

"Axel! What are you doing!?"

The puppy was saved by Demyx. Just. Unfortunately, that meant Demyx had taken the kick instead of the puppy. I'm not sure what I hit, but I wasn't sorry. As far as I was concern, he deserved it.

He recovered pretty quickly. He rolled over and looked at the puppy, eyes lighting up. "What is it?"

"It's a dog, Demyx," I said bluntly, trying to rip out the brush. I only succeeded in pulling out a few tuffs of hair.

"A dog?" He gazed at me blankly. I looked back just as blankly. The brush hanging out of my hair kind of ruined the effect I was aiming for. He didn't know what a dog was? "I've never seen one. I've only heard about them," he gave the puppy a squeeze. "Are you keeping it for a pet?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Well he likes you," the puppy had wriggled out of Demyx's grasp, and was back on my heels. I shoved it away with the tip of my boot. The puppy reminded me a lot of Demyx himself. Every time I kicked it, it still came back.

"Do you, uh, wants some help with that?" he frowned lightly as I wrestled to get the comb out.

"I'm fine. I don't need-" He ended up helping me. His fingers were a lot more delicate than mine were. I guess it came from picking at his sitar strings. It only took him a few seconds to get the comb out.

"Try being gentle for once?"

"What are you, my mother?"

"Do you want me to brush it for you?"

"No!"

Some how he ended up doing that too. I've found it's a lot easier to let Demyx have his way sometimes. It was nice though. And it did reminded me of what my mother used to do. She'd sit there for hours, just brushing my hair.

The puppy had found it's way to Demyx's head, and was perching there, tongue lolling out. "What are you going to do with the dog?"

"I'll take it back after breakfast."

There was a pause. I knew what that silence meant. "You're not keeping it, Demyx."

"Why not?"

He'd reverted back to a sulking little kid. I was silently glad he wasn't taking out his anger on my hair. "Xemnas would have a fit."

"How do you know he has a home to go back to?" He changed tack at the drop of a hat. I scowled. "Wouldn't you feel bad, Axel?"

"No. No heart, remember?"

"You do to have a heart," he dug a little harder than normal into my skull. I'd learnt to never insult the driver. I shut my mouth for a while. "Please, Axel."

I stiffened as I felt his eyes burning holes into the back of my neck. I felt like I'd done something wrong. I hate feeling guilty.

"Fine," I heard myself saying. I frowned at my weakness.

"Thanks, Axel," Demyx said happily, squeezing me round the middle.

"But you have to tell Xemnas," I nearly purred with satisfaction at the horrified look on his face.

* * *

The puppy came to breakfast. It still sat quite happily on Demyx's head, panting. I think it was glad to have a better owner than me. Though that might have been because it had a memory span of a goldfish.

Demyx's luck seemed to be holding. There was no sign of Xemnas, or Xigbar as well. I was a bit worried Xigbar would mistake the puppy for some kind of rodent target practise. "We're Number One and Two?" Demyx asked, taking a seat between Zexion and me. The others gawked at him.

"Busy," Sai'x hardly seemed to notice he was dripping cereal onto his lap.

"What the hell is that thing?" Xaldin demanded. "It looks like a-"

"-rat?"

"-guinea pig?"

"-ferret?"

A few people helpfully chipped in. Xaldin frowned. "No!" I agreed. They could have just said rodent. It covered all of them. "It's a dog."

"It's a bit small, don't you think?"

"Did it shrink?"

"No no, it's a puppy. They start out small."

"How come the Nobodies don't start out small then?"

I shut off for a while after they started up an argument about why Dusks didn't start out small, and grew. I started to reach for the butter. There was a small splat, and the puppy landed in the butter. I glared at it, and pushed away my toast, loosing my appetite for it. Instead, I went for the waffles. Before I'd got into grabbing distance, the puppy bet me to it. It sank in its tiny jaws, and dragged off with one.

The puppy seemed very interested in the breakfast table. It got into everything. Nearly everybody seemed to share my exasperation.

"No dog's on the table," Vexen swatted the puppy off his plate for the zillionth time. It rolled straight off, and landed with a 'welp'.

"Vexen! How could you," Demyx picked up the dazed puppy by the scruff. I could see the stars encircling its head.

"Don't you start with me," Vexen snapped back. There was a sudden scent of darkness, and a black portal opened up. Xigbar stepped out moments later, looking like he'd just been rubbed the wrong way.

Demyx quickly stuffed the puppy down the front of his cloak. His cloak gave a startled snuffle. Xigbar somehow missed the out of place sound. A few Members fought to keep straight faces.

"Run away again, Number Two?" Sai'x poured himself another glass of orange juice.

"Oh shut up!" He slumped down next to Xaldin. He grabbed the nearest thing to him. It happened to be a half puppy bitten pancake. A few of the less composed Members tried to hide their snorts of laughter. This time Xigbar noticed something. "What?" he took a better look around the table. He knew that we weren't the cleanest people on God's Earth, but the table had never looked like we'd got somebody on one end of the table, and rolled him to the other end. "-What's going on?… um," he suddenly remembered something. "And the Superior is supposed to be coming-" there was a second smell of darkness. "-about now."

Multiple portals suddenly appeared, and everybody fell into them in their haste to get away. I tried to fall backwards into mine, but I never quite got there. Demyx caught my foot, and I fell off my seat instead. I landed painfully on my shoulder blade, my cloak falling onto my face.

I liked to look a little more composed when Xemnas was about to chew me up, and spit me out.

I could just imagine his expression when he only found Demyx and Xigbar, and an upside down me, and a lot of rattling cutlery. Xemnas has the kind of eyes that cut right into you, even if you're not facing him. I was kinda glad I was under my cloak now.

"No dogs in the Castle, Number Nine."

I found out later that the puppy had somehow managed to pop its head out from under Demyx's chin.

* * *

We had to take it back. Obviously. Demyx was very insistent that I came with him. I was mildly surprised Xemnas hadn't had the puppy slaughtered. I suppose he had a bit of a soft spot for, Demyx, because he was the youngest in the group.

We stood on the edge of the junkyard. The puppy was squirming in Demyx's arms, catching the smells of home. "Do we have to?" He was looking pretty upset about the ordeal. I wondered how much of it was fault emotion. It looked real.

"Yes, Demyx."

"But-"

"No, Demyx."

"We could-"

"No!"

"Aaaaah, why?" Demyx turned a tearful face to me. I felt a jolt of shock. I wasn't expecting him to cry. Nobody cries in the Organisation. I averted my gaze, and looked at the bloody horizon for a good ten seconds. The crumbling castle of junk silhouetted against the sun set. Demyx sniffled behind me. "Didn't you learn 'no', back in the day?" I turned back round, hands on hips.

"We had a lot of things. And shared a lot. We never gave up things unless they were stolen."

"Hey. I didn't ask for your life story."

"Axel! Honestly, you always spoil the moment," Demyx hung his head.

"But you're smiling again."

"Huh?" Demyx said stupidly. I gave his cheeks a pinch. He failed about for a bit, trying to brush me off.

"Aw, you look a lot better when you smile, Demy," he blushed.

"Don't call me that."

"Demy-Demy-decibel."

I stopped when he kicked me in the shin. "Your never serious," his mouth curved into a pout, as he stroked the puppy.

"I can be serious," I snatched the puppy away from him. He gasped as I dropped it brutally on the ground, and started to yell at it. The puppy looked bewildered. He jumped backwards when I threw a stone at it, and finally ran away as the second stone hit its head.

You had to be tough when disowning something. Otherwise it will keep on searching for you. I didn't expect Demyx to understand that.

"You can truthfully say you didn't feel bad about doing that?" Demyx looked at me with sea stormy eyes.

"I didn't feel anything," I fixed my gaze on his right shoulder. There were a few hazel and white strands of dog hair there. It's easier to lie to a shoulder. It's even easier to lie to your feet.

I got the feeling he knew I was lying.

Every so often we brushed closely together on the way to Xemnas' office. I'd pushed the puppy away, but in the process I'd also pushed Demyx further away from myself. Even so he still stuck close to me on the walk back.

Everything originally comes from somewhere. And when you loose something, it goes back to that place. But when you 'disown' something, it will eventually come back to you if you don't push it away hard enough.

* * *

**END**

**I was rather mean to the puppy... calling it a rat all the time xD**


	4. Five of Heart

**Title: Thy tongue shall be split **

**Genre: General/humour**

**Paring/s: -**

**Line: Didn't you learn the two letter word; N-O! Memorise it.**

* * *

Demyx had put up one hell of a fight. He'd whinged, moaned and begged. I was surprised he hadn't grabbed me round the legs to stop me. Actually he did that right after I thought it. 

"Why can't I come?"

"Your not old enough," I lashed out with my foot, meaning to break his nose. Xigbar had clearly been teaching him basic defence skills. He'd been a lot more successful than me.

"I'm roughly the same age as you," Demyx looked at me in disbelief, his mouth curving into his normal pout.

"I meant by Castle date. How long has it been, two weeks tops? Council Meetings are boring, Demyx. Once you're old enough to be let into one, you'll be wanting to escape. Anyway, Xemnas is just handing out some more assignments," I wheeled about, and tried to summon a portal back up. It's very hard to get one up when somebody is distracting you. At last I had one. "I'll see you in about two minutes." And left him.

"Late, Number Eight," Xemnas growled from the highest bleach white chair. I crossed my arms firmly over my chest. I found to my dismay the assignments had already been dished out. Sometimes it's first in, first served. Or it's specifically assigned to you. "Lucky last," a thick wad of paper poofed in front of me. I eyed everyone else's. How come mine was the thickest? Across from me, Zexion was giving me a look something close to pity.

I looked at the top sentence. In solid red letters was; **GET NUMBER NINE'S NOBODY**

I groaned incredibly loudly.

* * *

I sorted out Zexion as soon as we were let out. Big surprise he was in the library. Zexion's a good person to complain to. He just sits there and listens. If he actually computes what you're talking about, I've no idea. But he always comes up with good advice. 

"Zexy, I need a favour," I went over to the study table he was at. He was half buried under a pile of books. His assignment papers where flipped open at the second page.

"Don't call me that," well we were off to a good start.

"I wanted to talk to you about the assignments."

"No."

"I didn't even-"

"No."

"Come ooon!"

"No!"

"But-"

"Didn't you learn the two letter word; N-O! Memorise it."

I felt very stung by that. The conversation felt familiar as well. "Have you been spying on me?"

"What?"

"Nevermind," I wearily pulled out a chair and flopped down. Zexion finally looked at me, having a break from his writing.

"What seems to be the problem with your assignment?"

"Like you don't know. It's Demyx's training session. I've had enough of Number Nine to keep me going for the rest of my Afterlife. Or Nobodylife. What ever it is," I uselessly put my arms on the table, and plonked my head between them.

There was a rustle of papers. "I thought you liked Number Nine?"

"Of course I _don't_. How can we like each other if we have no hearts?"

"Hmm-_hm_. Then do you like me?" Zexion made things about ten times as complicated. I struggled for a moment. "If you say no, then if your theory of us being Heartless is correct, it shouldn't hurt me one bit."

"It's your theory! You told me it. In the Pride Lands. Or have you forgotten already?"

"Actually, that's the Superiors theory. Your entitled to your own option, Number Eight," he brushed away some of his hair from his eyes.

"Then your saying you don't believe in the Superior?" Zexion was one of the six original 'Members'. I would never would of thought he'd start to question Xemnas.

"Have you even considered the Superior might be wrong?" Zexion looked back down, and picked up his ball point pen again. His hair fell back into place. I eyed the lilac haired man up. There had been a lot of times I'd thought Xemnas was wrong about the no heart thing. But it made things a lot simpler to just believe him.

* * *

I swirled the teaspoon slowly. I glared at the culprit. The white marshmallow glubbed back. "What is this?" I threatened Sai'x with my spoon. A few droplets splattered his nose. "This is a white marshmallow." 

"Very good. Your eye sight is still perfect," Sai'x drawled, taking his own hot chocolate off the table top.

"But I like the pink ones better."

"Is there a difference?"

"They _taste_ better," I narrowed my eyes.

"Just eat it."

"I will, but I won't enjoy it!"

I'd told a small white lie to, Demyx. I hadn't come back in two minutes. I was avoiding him. And I was going to keep at it until I'd traded my assignment with someone else. Sai'x was my target at the moment. I'd found him with his traditional midnight snack, sitting on the bench seats. I swished my hot drink, blowing on it to cool it down.

"Something on your mind?" Sai'x fiddled with his earring, gazing intently at me. I squirmed in my seat. "You don't normally come here on a whim. Something always drives you here.

I drummed my fingers on the hard surface. "What was your assignment, Sai'x?"

"To go to the Radiant Gardens. There's a strong hold there, like a living Castle that the Superior wants to post Dusks there," he smiled slightly. "I'm going there to have a poke around." Sai'x's idea of _poking around_ usually included something breaking. His smile, however, quickly formed into a frown. "Why?"

"You know what I got for my assignment?"

"Demyx centred, I presume," he took a long draft from his drink, closing his eyes. "Problem?"

"Largely."

"But you two like each other. What's that word… ah yes,_ friends_," Sai'x said, almost repeating what Zexion had told me.

"We have no hearts," I nearly snapped the handle off my mug of steamy goodness, bearing my teeth.

"But here you are, sitting with me."

He gestured with open arms. I pulled up his hood, letting large bunny ears flop forward. He frowned darkly. I first warning for the night.

"I've heard this lecture before," I half apologised as he pulled his hood back down. "Let's talk about something else. Your 'hearts' clearly set on this mission."

* * *

"Axel! Put it _down!" _The bottle of clear hydrochloric acid was snatched away. A small droplet landed on one of my gloves. I shook it off quickly. I would have to find a new glove. Vexen put down the vile on one of the racks, glaring at me. 

"Anyway, as I was saying," I strode away from him, and randomly picked up another bottle. It was milky white, with a faint yellow glow around the edges. Sulphuric acid. Hey, I know my stuff, thankyou very much. I gave it a swirl, making Vexen's long hair nearly stand on end. "Do you think this would suit well for a stand in milk substance?"

"If you're planning on burning them from the inside out," that bottle was whisked away too. "Yes."

"Hmm-hm. So what assignment did you get stuck with?" I spied a tub of watered down Gastric acid, and stuck my hand into it. Vexen nearly had a heart attack.

"Axel!!"

"I _know _what I'm doing," I flicked droplets of the harmless stomach acid at him. I was tempted to lick it off my fingers, but Vexen would probably kick me out of the lab. "Answer the question."

"I'm going to the Pride Land with Lexaeus. To see if bringing back any of the soil will help- don't you _dare," _he caught me mucking around near the gases. I put out the small flame on my palm.

"I'm not an idiot."

**Whooosh!**

The small amount of fire I'd created still set off the gas. The heat in the room sky rocketed. Vexen fixed me with his best deadpan look.

"You fucking mor-."

**_BLAM!!_**

* * *

Lexaeus was something close to a gentle giant. He looked like the kind of person you didn't want to meet in a dark alley. Fortunately he wasn't like that. Lexaeus finished strapping the last of the bandages on my head. 

"Should I wake him up now?" Vexen was lying, unconscious, on one of the white sheet beds.

"I think it's kinder to let him sleep…."

Lexaeus fixed his mouth into a jagged line. "You destroyed hundreds of rare ingredients."

"I know."

"Hours of research."

"I know."

"You knocked out half the Castle's interior."

"I _know_…"

"All because of…?" he tailed off, raising an eyebrow.

"Demyx."

"Demyx?"

"Demyx."

"…. _Demyx?"_

"Dem- can we please have a normal conversation that's not consisting of one word?" Lexaeus opened his mouth again, then closed it, deep in thought.

"I'm sorry, but what has Number Nine got to do with all this?" He finally said, making the bed springs groan as he sat on the end of my bed.

"I have issues."

"Clearly."

There was a very awkward pause. I slowly drew up my knees, my burnt and bruised chest heaving. It hurt a lot.

"You might as well go, Lexaeus," I got the words out. The Silent Hero got to his feet.

"You'll be fine?"

"I'm _fine_."

"Don't touch any of the medical equipment."

"Lexaeus…"

"I'm just saying," he waved a massive hand, smiling. "Tell one of the Dusks when Vexen wakes up to come fetch me. And if you're hungry, just tell one of them what you want. And-"

"Stop fussing, you sound like a mother hen."

Lexaeus flushed. "I am not fussing. And The Superior wants to see you once you can walk again," I poked my tongue out after he left. It gave me a little satisfaction. The Dusks hovered about like nervous pigeons. They fluffed up my pillow, and monitored my heart rate. Yeah. Right.

A slow hour later, my first visitors came. A darkness portal unfurled, and Xigbar appeared. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you," I struggled to prop myself up on the pillows. A second person peered round Xigbar's shoulder. "And I'm so not happy to see you."

"We heard-"

"The screams of agony? The huge blast? Saw the smoke and the bodies?"

"We heard from Zexion that something had happened," Xigbar corrected me. "I also came because Demyx says your avoiding him." I glared at the little tattletale.

"Well it's true," Demyx hid back behind Xigbar.

"You're not my shadow," I informed him, folding my arms, and holding back a wince. "I don't need to baby-sit you twenty-four. What has it been? A day."

"You have my file."

"Xigbar!" I yelled at him.

"Neeh, keep me outa this," Xigbar waved both his hands, like he was shielding himself.

"You don't like me?" Demyx said. My chest constricted. That's about as real as emotion got for us. I didn't grace him with an answer. I folded back into my bed, closing my eyes.

"Leave me alone."

The order was followed. I was left alone with the sleeping Vexen.

* * *

Some kind of invisible agreement had settled over Demyx and me. It was thick and intoxicating. Obviously I'd broken away whatever friendship we once had. We talked normally enough, but it was always strictly business. 

We finally got around to getting his Nobody. I went over the procedure again, and he followed without a fuss. The Nobody that he 'created' looked about as threatening as himself. I didn't comment on how it didn't follow the colour scheme, or that it was far too human. I just jotted down notes as Demyx put it through its passes.

Our first field assignment was a small forest border. It was a strong hold of a lot of weak Heartless. Demyx went under in five minutes. I had to drag him out while he was still on this Earth.

Our second field assignment wasn't until I'd done some personal training. I physically went through the motions, not putting in any passion. His sitar was big, and bulky. His mobility was cut in half. I easily dodged round his defences, and jabbed at his gut, each time saying; "Your dead. Your dead."

Demyx was getting more and more irked. He gripped his sitar more firmly, then span on the spot. A great blue blur faced me, and the next second I was on my back, with no memory of being hit.

My chest felt like it was in a vice. It was getting hard to breathe. That hit hadn't crushed my lungs; they were still tender from that explosion. Putting up a mask, I got back to my feet, breathing fast and quick. The next blow knocked me off my feet. I skidded a few meters, and hit the back of my head on the wall with a dull crack. I stubbornly got back up. The last hit didn't catch me off guard. I blocked it with one of my blazing chakram, setting fire to the instrument.

Demyx dropped it smartly. The whole thing quickly caught alight. The flames hungrily devoured the gentle timber, eating it whole. Soon only a smudge of ash told the story that there was once something there.

* * *

Demyx had locked his room door. His Dancers stopped anyone from entering. 

"What have you done, Number Eight?" Xemnas snarled, the rest of the Organisation seated beside him, like a court of order. I'd never seen Xemnas this mad before. He was pretty okay with the explosion, but this was the last straw. "You're heading on the way of becoming a Dusk."

My eyes widened. "I didn't think his weapon would disappear for good," I mumbled to my hands.

Xigbar drew out a long sigh. "What happened, Axel? I thought you two were getting along so well. Actually… his sitar is fine, by the way." Not that it mattered.

"It's not denial, is it?" Xaldin rapped his knuckles on the table.

I looked back at my hands, flexing them into fists. Was I? In denial I mean. I was friendly with nearly everyone in the Organisation, but it's so difficult to be close to anyone. We literally danced with death everyday. It was a waste of time to even think like that. Why act on it when the feelings are false anyway.

"Our World is unstable. The World that Never Was... It isn't supposed to exist. It's theoretically impossible. Every new box that appears in the storage rooms are filled with nothing by sawdust. Protecting nothing. The houses we break into have nothing but shadows. We are nothing. We feel nothing, so we give nothing in return. Our time is short here."

Zexion narrowed his eyes, lacing his fingers. "I think you just answered it for your self, Number Eight."

* * *

The field assignment was set up by Zexion. He passed over the files without looking up at us. He pulled me to one side. "Do not screw this up," he hissed. His eyes reminded me a lot of his lion counterpart. His grip on my upper arm hurt. "Xemnas doesn't want to go through breaking him again. It's a stress to do the first time." 

I ripped out of his vice grip. "I know."

"You say that so many times," Zexion shook his head in dismay. "I'm starting to not trust your word." I licked my lips, and took a firmer grip on the documents.

* * *

The new World reminded me of home. It was a very rocky shoreline, with grassy hills and fields all around us. The ocean went on forever. There was a faceless sign in the rocks. My hair was electrified. It was quiet. Way to quiet. I was expecting Heartless to pop out at any second. 

A loud clattered behind me made me jump a foot. I span around, lifting my fits. But it was only Demyx. Moving very quickly towards me. He'd tripped on a rock. Next second I was on the ground, head being split open on a rock. God that hurt.

"Aww… _shit_!"

I lifted my hand to rub my head, only to find I was paralysed. It's a pretty weird feeling when you can't feel anything. Like your limbs are filled with lead, or dense water. I had a feeling I'd done my back in. I'd certainly learnt my lesson with chemicals. I could smell the darkness. Little portals opened up, and Shadows started to encircled us.

"Do something, Demyx!" I yelled.

"What about you?" he asked, getting to his feet. I still couldn't move. Was my spine out of line? My old injuries had started to rear their ugly little heads.

"I can't-mfft!" A dozen Shadows started to clamber over me, giving me a good sniff. They couldn't find a heart to rip apart. A more aggressive Heartless thrust its way through, and started to gnaw at me. As if that was the gun blast for the start of a race, little dark bodies obscured my vision. I felt hot slobber dribbling all over me, and teeth tearing me apart. I heard Demyx desperately yelling my name, and him smacking away the Heartless.

If I got out of this alive, I was going to kill Zexion.

* * *

"Axel! Axel, can you hear me?" 

"Wake up, buddy."

"Number Eight!"

Somebody was shaking me. I blearily opened my eyes. I saw a white ceiling, and silvery eyes. I smelt a lot of chemicals, and the person's shampoo.

"You!" The yell came out as a half frog croak. I lunged for Zexion. He caught me in a half hug.

"You'll pull your stitches out," he warned, setting me back up right. He brushed back the hair that had flopped forward on my face. At least he was being kind for my sake. I was feeling pretty reached. Xigbar was on my other side, Demyx flanking him.

I looked at my reflection in the steel tray sporting food. It looked like I'd been half dragged through Hell, then back again. I recognised the flaming red hair, but not the parchment white face, covered in slowly dissolving stitches.

"You look terrible," the Nocturne stated.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious. What happened?"

"Demyx saved your life," Zexion said, getting out a long needle. I eyed it wearily.

"I find that hard to believe," Demyx made a noise of annoyance. "Thanks anyway," I added. He smiled in relief as I sank back, exhausted. Zexion shooed them out soon after. I'd been in a half coma for a week. Apparently Demyx had been like the faithful little puppy he was, and staid by my side.

"Say good night," Zexion jabbed the needle into my neck. I welcomed the darkness.

* * *

**END**

**Yeah I enjoy tormenting Dem… bwhahah. They made up… in their own way. Not one of my better titles or plot lines, I must say -- and that marshmallow incident happened to me. My mum(Xemy) gave me some hot chocolate, and it had a white marshmallow, and I hate them x(**

**I looked at her and said; What is this?**

**We ran outa pink, so just drink it. What's the difference anyway?**

**The pink taste better**

**Just drink it**

**I will but I won't enjoy it!**

**-Ixi**


	5. Random Joker

**Name:** Let off the Leash 

**Genre:** Humour/General

**Paring/s: -**

**Line: _"_**_Do you think my answer's gonna change? I won't!"_

**

* * *

**

"Run! Run away!"

In a quick blaze of light and a clink, the large Keyblade swung up to meet the attacker. What the wielder didn't count on was the quick side step as the Nobody dodged round him. Sora twisted round just in time to see the black robes disappearing into the darkness portal.

"Okay…"

* * *

Cursing to himself, he had just missed his target, Demyx got ready to reopen another portal once he got back to the main castle. He emerged into one of the white washed corridors in the World that Never Was castle. 

Then ran full tilt into somebody.

Making a noise like a rat being trodden on, Demyx tried to save himself by twisting in mid air, but still hit the ground hard on his left shoulder. File paper scattered everywhere. The Nobody he had run into was also on the floor, his legs at an odd angle. A sheet of paper settled on top of his blonde hair. So far so good, Axel hadn't blown his top yet. Demyx supposed he was suffering from post shock.

Run ins didn't happen that often; they normally had checkpoints to where to port too and from. And there was a strict no running in the halls rule, no using weapons in the halls, no using powers in the hall (that includes fighting), no bending the laws of physics (that applied to Xigbar) no using swivel chairs for racing cars down the halls. That last one kinda sliced the things to do in the castle to almost nothing. Everything thing had to be done behind closed doors. It seems to work out okay, so far no hiccups had happened.

"Dem," Axel said, almost as if he was seeing him for the first time. His emerald eyes looked a bit out of focus. Demyx made another squeak, and flinched like Axel had brandished a whip at him. With a rub of his head, he finally came to. "Demyx," he deadpanned.

The aquatic Nobody could almost hear the clogs ticking away, and coming to a conclusion. Axel kept quiet as Demyx clumsily handed back the papers he had dropped. Axel took the final one off from Demyx's head.

He opened his mouth to say, or most likely yell, but something dropped out of Demyx's robes. With a heavy clung, a small stone rolled over the tiles. The final piece of the puzzle slotted into place. "What are you doing back here?"

Demyx's face dropped like the stone.

"You have a job to do, Dem, so go do it," Axel half-heartedly scolded. It was really hard to yell at Demyx when he made that stupid puppy face. Only he and Roxas could do that face without making idiots out of themselves.

"It's really hard," Demyx complained, swivelling around on the floor, and putting his hands between his splayed legs. "I managed to get the stone okay, but the Underworld's really freaky. I don't wanna die."

"Your not gonna die," Axel countered, picking himself up from the floor, balancing the papers on his knee. "You died once, it's ain't gonna happen again."

"But what about the others? They died, right?"

Axel hesitated. He wasn't too sure what happened when Sora had 'killed' the other half of the Organisation. "Don't be silly," Axel fwipped his hand lazily. "We're Nobodies, so the other's probably went back to where they came from, or regenerated, or something."

Axel's lesson on life didn't really cheer Demyx up.

"Anyhows," Axel rapped his foot loudly in front of Demyx. "Why are you back so soon?"

"You'll laugh…"

Demyx really was a kid. Axel resisted the urge to sigh. "I won't."

"You will."

"I won't"

"You will."

"I won't"

"You will."

"I won't"

"You will."

"Do you think my answer's gonna change? I won't!"

"Promise?"

_KingdomHearts, strike me dead._ "Yes, Dem, I promise."

"Well, I went to find, Roxas-"

"Sora," he corrected him automatically.

"What?"

"His name is, Sora."

"Whatever. I got quite far into the Underworld, and then I found out Hades had let the leash off of Cerberus if you get my point." Axel's eyebrows slowly rose.

"Go on."

"So I ran for it."

"You know the passage ways are to small for him?"

"That's why I ran, to trap him between some pillars, or a cave entrance. But Hades has got all kinds of loopholes for Cerberus to come out of."

"A Dragoon, or Berkerker could have handled him."

"It's _really_ hard trying to summon Nobodies while dodging three head's at once, Axel."

"Then why didn't you use your water powers?" Axel's voice rose a notch. He wouldn't have been surprised if Demyx had said, _what water powers?_

Axel was sure that Demyx only suffered from low self-esteem problems. The Nobody was actually quite powerful when he wanted to be. Or maybe it was because Axel really didn't like water, and was weak against it.

Demyx gave a slight whimper, and cringed towards the floor. "Couldn't you come with me, Axel?"

"Up you come, Dem," Axel hefted Demyx up, and propelled him down the corridor. He created a small darkness portal, and threw his papers into it, hoping they would land on his bed. "The Organisation doesn't trust me anymore, so I don't think I can come with you. I'd normally jump at the chance to find Roxas, but I'd rather not get my spinal cord ripped out by the Superior."

"I don't think Roxas will come back to us," Demyx said gloomily, as they walked out on top a small balcony. "If he's already joined with his original self I don't think you can spilt them apart again."

Axel staid silent, looking at KingdomHearts.

Demyx automatically tensed at the cold moment. "You want me to go, don't you?"

"Yes."

Axel dug in his pocket, and brought out a slip of paper. He burnt some words into it then held it out for Demyx.

"It won't be helpful, but remember that I'll be fighting with you. Or something like that," he'd never been the one for a peep talk.

Demyx gave a crooked smile, and put the paper away.

Demyx flicked his hand and a darkness portal appeared.

"Seeya."

* * *

**End **

**A little drabble I wrote a looong time ago xp every so often, I'm putting these in to break up the fiction**

**A small filler of where Dem went when he ran away from Sora. I'd love to know where the Org. robes have their pockets, cos I've never seen one…**

**-Ixi**


	6. Six of Heart

**Title:** Silver Rain 

**Genre: **Action/humour

**Paring/s: -**

**Line**: "Hm, yeah. Let's get all the Organisation thinking; _Oh look, I'm gay_."

* * *

The Assassin leapt onto the ceiling, lying low. Inch by inch, it slinked it's way towards it's prey. The Gambler glanced up far too late. Its long arms came round, and stabbed the Gambler where its face should have been. They paused in their deadly dance, and finally the foot long dagger slid out.

The Gambler twitched a few times, then crumpled to the ground.

I raised my head, a glimmer of hope entering my eyes. The Assassin looked triumphant, as it stood up to look at me. Then a dice came flying into its side, smacking it to the ground.

I put my face back in my arms. I risked a glance at the person next to me. Luxord's eyes were fixed on the battle. His action said _I'm listening_, but his eyes said nobody was home. I found out why a second later. There were small speakers in his ears. The slimy bugger was listening to an I-pod. I punched him in the arm.

He sat up with an 'ouch'. "What?"

"I'm winning," the last surviving Assassin cut down his last Gambler. It jumped around, celebrating. Luxord made a groaning noise, as he ripped out his headphones. "And now, if you please."

He grudgingly passed over the wad of papers. I nearly kissed them. I handed over my own papers. I'd successfully avoided doing 'Demyx' duty for a whole month. Luxord was the youngest member at the moment, but at one glance he'd been ranked higher than Demyx. I flicked through the papers. I had to go with Zexion to the Radiant Gardens. "Oh, lame," I commented, skimming over the words. I would have to search the castle again, for the billionth time, and post out a few Dusks. Every time somebody went, they had reported that the Dusks had been killed, or wondered off. Attention span of a goldfish. Well something was in that castle, killing off Dusks, and we had to find it. It didn't say in the report, but I was reading between the lines.

* * *

There was a loud knock on my door. I grumbled from my warm sheets. The clock on the wall, which had three hands and no numbers, said it was far too early to be even thinking of getting up. The persistent human being knocked again, louder.

"It's open!" I shouted, burrowing deeper into the covers. The door clicked open.

"Get up, Number Eight," Zexion ordered. How could he sound so awake?!

"Why are you calling at this ungodly hour?" I asked, curling up into myself.

"We need to be at the Gardens early. Get your ass out of bed," his voice sounded closer.

"Make me."

Zexion smacked me hard on the shoulder. Sharp and uncomfortable. He used his book. I think he was aiming for my head, but it's hard when you can't see the target. "I have coffee."

"Coffee?" I perked up, poking my head out from under the covers. "Lies!" when I spied no warm cup, I tried to worm back under. Unfortunately Zexion was quick. He grabbed a fist full of my hair, and twisted me out. I landed painfully on the hard floor, bringing half the bed sheets with me.

"Excellent. Meet me outside in five minutes."

We I got motivated enough; I was outside in three minutes. I drew my thick trench coat tighter about my self, shivering. It was raining lightly. The air was moist from the friction of heat and dampness. The rain pattered softly into my hair, and misted over my face and shoulders.

The World that Never Was City was barely lit up. All the shop lights were off, and only the street lamps gave enough light to see. Zexion was standing in a dim patch of light, holding one of the Superiors umbrellas over his head.

"Cold," I said between my frozen lips, my breath hovering away. Zexion just nodded. "How long are we going to be there?"

"About a week. Setting up in one of the abandoned houses in the town. The place is riddled with Heartless, but it's okayish in town."

I never thought I'd live to hear Zexion saying; okayish. The cold must have been getting to him. He summoned up a darkness portal, and we stepped through.

* * *

It was raining here too.

A little more harder than in our world, but it didn't lighten our spirits much. Zexion lifted the umbrella higher, and peered around. There were no lights. I created a small flame, and tried to look beyond my nose. We were on some steps to a thatch house. I raised my hand higher, avoiding putting the umbrella alight. We were on the steps of a large courtyard. There were a few more houses flanking our one. Looking up, I saw the sky holding the stars and moon. There was a towering stone wall blocking out the view.

"Home sweet home," Zexion pulled out a rack of keys, juggling the umbrella under one arm, and using my fire as a torch. I found the one he was looking for. The inside was no better than the outside. The room was cosy, with a dead fire in the hearth and a boxy bed pressed up in the corner. The roof was leaking, making large puddles on the floor, and there was a giant computer that swallowed up half the wall.

Zexion propped up the umbrella, shaking off a few raindrops.

"Do we have food?" I asked, having a quick nosy in the small cupboards. A rat peered out from a box of empty corn flakes. I shut the door with a loud bang.

"The Dusks should be here with a few boxes full. Until then, we should get to the castle."

"Why couldn't we just stay in the castle?"

"There's a unknown enemy, with a taste for Nobodies living in that castle. I don't think so," Zexion pulled up his hood, drawing in the shadows. "Is that computer turned off? Good. Make sure the lights are off, and kick that umbrella under the bed. If there are people living in here, then we need to make sure they don't know we're dropping by for a visit."

We went back out into the rain. It was coming down in bucket loads. I was surprised I hadn't heard it inside the house. Small portals opened up, and a dozen Dusks flanked us.

"Damn it's cold."

"Number Eight, keep it down."

"Hey, I didn't say anything," I said, annoyed. The black figure in front of me paused. "Wait, then if it wasn't you, or me. Then who was that?" We drew closer together on instincts, all the time walking backwards into the darker shadows. The Dusks nervously dissolved into the early dawn.

"Reeeh, Squally!" The high pitched voice floated back to us. We stopped dead.

"Don't call me that." A second voice, sounding very annoyed, echoed back. I motioned to Zexion that we should get up onto the wall. Second later I realised it was to dark for him to see what I was pointing out. But he seemed to get the message. I bunched my legs, and sprang up, back flipping until my boots scrapped the rough stone edge. I landed like a cat; amazed I hadn't broken my neck, or hit the wall.

With a better view, I saw the smudge of Zexion, and the Dusks. Coming round the corner were two more distinctive figures. One was definitely female, she was more ahead, and the taller was male. He had something long and nasty looking slung over his shoulder. Zexion came a second later, moving like a bat. He didn't get enough momentum. His boot hit the rocky edge, but he pitched backwards, instead of forwards. The rain made the rocks slippery, and he fell right off.

"Kyaaa!"

His landing was softened by a faithful Dusk. I scrambled to see what the causality count was. The girl ran forward to see what made the noise. "Are you okay?" She bent down. Zexion answered softly, I couldn't hear over the rain. I summoned up my chakrams, as she made a move to touch him.

There was a click of a gun being put on automatic. The worse sound in the world. And that sound was being pressed up against my temple.

"Don't move."

Oh. Crap. I'd forgotten about the other one. I slowly lowered my weapons; my eyes fixed on Zexion. I mentally sent a message of help.

_'Lookuplookupseemeindangerlookupdamnyou!'_

By some miracle, Zexion looked up. He kicked the girl hard in the jaw, and tried to roll out of the way. The girl caught his foot, and flipped him onto his back. He made a grab for her ankles, but she dodged that too. "Turn around," the man ordered, the cold steel digging into my hood.

I called for my Assassins. They came. Silent as Death himself, they rose their arms to cut the man in half. I didn't let my eyes betray what was going to happen. In a spilt second, it was all over. He took a step forward, just as the Assassin struck. Dark blood splattered the pebbles, and he fell forwards in a rush of brown hair. I avoided being a skewered on his blade, but he knocked into me all the same. My heels banged into the edge, and I fell off the edge, failing to get a hold.

I got my hands around his neck, and flipped him. No way was I going to cushion the fall.

We landed hard. I felt all my bones rattle around in their joints, but not breaking. I didn't bother to check on the man. I leapt to my feet; something small whizzing passed my ear. Ninja star? I found Zexion in the dark, and grabbed a handful of his cloak. I took a leap for the wall, unsuccessfully landing on a power box. I scrabbled up with my extra weight, and threw Zexion the rest of the way, coming up to meet him seconds later. "Go go!" I shouted, hearing pounding footsteps.

We sprinted down the rest of the archway, coming to a small gate. We smashed it open in our haste, passing a stone window, and thundered down a flight of stairs. There were angry yells right behind us. Lighting my footsteps, I dragged Zexion towards some heavy machinery. I found the less conspicuous crack, and forced Zexion heads first into it, following the tails of his cloak. I shoved his head down, and curled up next to him, deliberately not hyperventilating. I felt, not heard the other foot falls. I closed my eyes, trying to melt into the wall. Zexion was shivering. I covered up his mouth.

"Did they come this way?"

The foot steps paused, and there was muffled shuffling. They were right above us. I crouched lower, breathing through my mouth.

"Leon, rest. You're bleeding all over the place! Stay here, and I'll scout around."

They certainly weren't keeping their voices down.

"I'm fine."

There was a strangled yelp. I guessed she had hit… Leon on the back. My Assassins do their job, and do it well. There were soft footsteps, and the girl passed over us, jumping down to the next flight of stairs. I could hear her humming. God she was annoying. I let my guard down for a moment, relaxing.

Then the girl appeared right in front of us. I stop breathing. God must have wanted to smite me for that lack of concentration. The slightest movement would give us away. A flash of lightning lit up the sky, and then lit us up. Game over. I finally saw my enemy. She was all in black. Small and perky. She looked right at us. Then turned around with a shrug. Zexion had just saved our lives. He'd created an illusion that there was just a rock wall.

I didn't let my breath out until she and Leon were long gone and the rain had started to ease up. My bones had moulded into place, and complained loudly as I crawled out of the machinery. I made a job for cracking every joint as I stretched.

By the time we set off for the Castle, dawn was well passed. We took extra care. We had no idea where those two had gone, but we weren't taking any chances. We sent out Dusks to patrol a twenty-yard radius. So far we were safe.

Zexion finally broke the silence. "What were they doing here? Hollow Bastion's hardly a place for a holiday."

"What did you say to the girl?"

"I threatened her. But I think she either didn't hear, or thought I'd hit my head badly and was confused. What about you. You could have taken the other one."

I pulled on my cuffs. "I think we both know the answer. You would have been fine under better circumstances. Rain. Early morning. Not expecting it."

We got cut off as a Dusk flittered in front of us.

_Approaching the Castle battlements, My liege. There seems to be no way up. Or down_

Zexion frowned, growing quiet. We stopped finally, on the edge of a sharp drop. Down down down. I could make out the bottom. Shards of rocks and water. In the distance, there was the Castle. The Dusk was right. There appeared to be no way of getting in at all. "How on earth are we gonna get down…. Or up?"

"You'd need wings."

A happy voice chirped behind us. I nearly leapt off the edge in fright. Zexion grabbed my upper arm. Somebody giggled. A Dusk appeared, looking tired.

_My liege! There's a –_

" I know!" I kicked the Dusk off the cliff face. It re-appear, looking sulky. It had come too late.

"Hi!" Hovering a few meter's off the ground, was a girl. She had long blond hair, and was wearing an equally bright attire. She waved.

Zexion was the first to recover. "You don't have wings either."

"Oh um, you can't see them," She span on the spot, and showed us her back. Her shoulder blades glowed for a second, then out sprouted white feathers. "There we go." Zexion didn't have a smart comeback for that.

"What are you? Who are you?" I demanded.

"I'm-"

"Rikku!"

"Yuna, Paine!"

"There you are. Don't run off, we'd nearly got that shiny charm off that blade."

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, who's this? Treasure?"

"I don't think so. They look like travellers."

"And their clothes are kinda tacky. But those silver chains and beads look like they could make some munny."

"Long coats equal long pockets. Maybe they're hiding out on us."

"Hey! Don't touch me, midget!"

"Aww, that wasn't very nice. I just wanna look at that chain, mister."

"Hey, they _do_ have pockets."

"Personal space! Get out of it!"

"There's a cookie in this one's pocket."

"STOP IT!" A shock wave rippled off Zexion, sending the fairies flying backwards. The blond sniffled, rubbing her head. "And give that back to me," he snatched the cookie out of one with black devil wings hands.

"So it _was_ you who stole the last cookie!" I accused.

"Please, Number Eight," Zexion massaged his temples.

"That's a funny name," one with a long blue shirt put a finger to her chin. "My name's, Yuna."

"Rikku," the one we first encountered.

"Paine," the one with black wings.

They did a small pose. "We're treasure hunters."

"Hollow Bastion's no place for that kind of thing," Zexion informed with a sweep of his hand. "Hate to break it to you, but this world is dying."

"No treasure?"

"Afraid not."

"Aw."

I eyed them up. "Hey, do you three have the power to fly us over to that Castle?"

"We could…" Rikku clapped her hands together slyly. "But you gotta give us something in return."

"Um... well what do you want?"

"Treasure, duh."

"Then we'll get some for you."

The girls made excited noises. They huddled together.

"Hm, think we can take their word for it?" Rikku sighed.

"Never mind that, what about… you-know-who?" Yuna pointed out. "If she finds out we brought strangers into her Castle, she'll never give us our treasure."

"Fake it," Paine said. "Let's make sure she's well out of the way, while we keep an eye on them."

"They seem pretty strong," Yuna agreed. "So if we do get into trouble, they can get us out of it."

Rikku tugged on Yuna's sleeve, and nodded that we could hear them. They moved a few feet away, lowering their voices. I turned to Zexion. "Who'd you reckon they talking about?"

"Must be the person killing off our Dusk," Zexion drummed his fingers on his crossed arms. "Then we must eliminate 'her'"

* * *

I wouldn't have called it a Castle. Maybe if you squinted titled your head, and it was pitch black, then maybe, just maybe it'd looked like one. I'd wryly pointed this out to Zexion. He didn't take to my humour to well.

I didn't think he liked travelling via fairy power.

"Funny. Sai'x didn't mention these butterflies on his report," Zexion muttered, as we alighted down on the cold bricks, facing the double doors.

"Maybe he didn't see them. Or they just got here. Or-"

"- A hundred other things, maybe, Number Eight. Sai'x might be secretly blind for all we know," he smirked, running a hand along the doors, to short to pull on the doorknockers. Rikku, Yuna and Paine were fluttering nervously behind us.

"Here," I released the door, and it swung inwards with a gentle moan. We walked off, leaving the girls behind us.

"Hey!" Yuna boldly spoke up. "Reward?"

"Oh yeah. Um, we need to do this all week. So well give it to you after that. Kay?" I cheerfully waved my hand. The girls fumed.

I made a few globs of concentrated fire. They hovered away, showing us where to put out feet. The corridor we walked down must lead to a bigger chamber, I guessed. I told a few Dusks to scout around, and to report back if there was any trouble ahead.

"Your maturing everyday," Zexion commented, keeping one hand flat on the wall. "I'm glad you came instead of Number Ten."

"Thanks," I let myself glow with fault pride for a second. We came out into the chamber. I created more fire, lighting up the whole place. There was a fountain, and above us was a floating disc. Crude statues were everywhere. It smelt old.

"Nobody has been here for a long time," Zexion whispered, boots echoing around the room. "We could assume that 'she' is living higher up, or doesn't know how to use the front door," he inspected the fountain.

"The water is fresh," I observed, eyes quickly darting to the side. That could be the hint of life. Or that there was an ungrounded water supply.

"Hm," Zexion hummed slightly, gliding up the stairs. He cried out. I vaulted the rails, and ran to him. "Blocked," Zexion swore, hands on a small door. It had a Heartless symbol on it. It was clear that you had to open it by slotting in the missing pieces of the heart.

I let out a shaky breath. "Jesus. Don't do that."

"Worried?" He asked innocently, climbing onto the rails. I bit on my tongue; now equally worried he was going to fall off the rails. He sprang up, doing an acrobat flip, and his hands got a firm grip on the disc. "Damnit!" he struggled to pull himself up.

"Apart from you lacking the height," I shook my head, grinning. "You don't have the weight as well. To push yourself forward."

I demonstrated, and soared over his head, landing in the middle of the platform. I turned to him, still failing about. "Less time with your nose in a book, and more time working out," I suggested.

Zexion hissed between clenched teeth. "Weight? You're skin and bone."

"How would you know that?" I flicked him off like an annoying piece of lint.

"The way your coat falls, idiot."

"Checking me out, where you? Maybe I'll just leave you there for a while," I said, grinning dangerously.

"Axel!" he yelled desperately, sounding frightened. I turned back, expecting him to grovel for a lift. But his eyes were fixed over my shoulder. "Get down!!"

Something heavy and menacing hit my back. I scrabbled for a hold. Zexion's hand shot out, grabbing my upper arm. His fingers on the platform started to slip with the extra weight. "The Dusks!" I yelled in outrage.

Whatever hit me had yellow eyes. It stepped from the shadows. Hanging from its jaws were the Dusk sentries. I suppose we should have learnt from the last time. It was a Heartless. The ugly symbol was burnt onto its forehead. It was massive, on all fours, with a wriggling tail. The tail was alive with snakes. It snarled, dropping the Dusk.

It lunged again, slamming into the platform with a huge shock wave. We tipped alarming fast. The Heartless yowled, and lightning stuck all around us. At once the platform hummed, and shot up. Fast.

It hadn't been used in so long; it wasn't used to the powerful jolt. It crushed the Heartless on the roof. Zexion yelled, as claws sunk into his hand.

"Burn!" I threw up my free hand, setting the Heartless alight. It screamed in agony, confused at the mounting pressure from below, and now the smell of it's burning flesh joined in.

There was a second whirr. My stomach flipped. Landed somewhere in my mouth. The platform was racing back down. I was going to be crushed! The wild flames crackled loudly, and hot saliva dribbled from the beasts jaws as it hung off the edge, grinning as we sped towards our death.

I grabbed Zexion round the waist. Slammed my feet on the base of the platform. Kicked off. I hit the fountain. My brain exploded as I hit something hard and very solid. I sat up. My vision wavered, and I coughed up water. Zexion was already up.

There were flames dancing everywhere. Zexion was making an illusion. I got out my chakrams, spinning them. They caught on fire. The Heartless had recovered from the first blow. It reared up just as I threw my flaming chakrams. One sank into an eye socket. The other buried it self into the gut. Flames weave themselves over the dark fur.

Then it was over.

The Heartless slowly dissolved away. The flames died. The fountain dripped away.

"You're bleeding," Zexion said, behind me. My hair felt damp. Heavy from the water. And something else.

"M'fine," I mumbled, walking towards him. The world swam even worse. I clutched my head, and wobbled. Zexion grabbed me in a strong embrace.

"Stop moving. Let me see."

"Is it okay… if I rest here?" my chin drooped onto Zexion's shoulder. "It hurts."

* * *

I woke up feeling secure. Something was keeping me warm.

A fire's crackle. I was back in the house.

"Day one. Failed," Zexion said from the wall, leaning against it. I rubbed my eyes, finding no gloves. "It's dangerous wearing wet clothes, Number Eight. And you're hurt as well."

"Sorry," I tried to sit up.

"Don't be. You broke the skin when you hit the fountain. Nasty blow."

I looked round the room. Again, that computer drew my eyes. "Why is that here?"

Zexion looked tired. The fire shadowed up his face. "You might not know, but there's something under Hollow Bastion that belongs to us. The original Members lived here, too. Ansem created the computer system," he gestured at the computer. "I wouldn't call it his pride and joy, but he was damn proud of it."

"So, this is it then?"

"No. The main computer is somewhere else. 'Ienzo' can't remember where. The further away I am from him, the less I remember," Zexion brought his arms up and held himself. "It's odd. Loosing yourself. Do you remember how you died?"

"Hardly. I remember fire. Isn't that how it goes?"

"No," Zexion lowered his eyes. "Those are lies we feed to shut up the newbies. I remember our lab, exploding. Hearing Braig, Dilan, Even… when Braig's guns ran out, I knew we were dead. The Heartless just kept coming. And then Xemnas' Heartless, laughing. Nothing. I remember falling."

I shivered. "I don't want to remember."

* * *

The next day was just a waste of time. We had waited on the peak all morning. About lunchtime, the fairies had come back.

"Treasure."

They would not be moved until we gave them their reward. Problem was, we'd plan to just give them an illusion of treasure, and make our escape before they killed us. We went back to the house, defeated.

"Why can't we use a darkness portal?" I whined, as we reclined on one of the rooftops. Zexion was creating a chain of air bubbles with his finger.

"Because of the Heartless. They'll smell it, and come flocking. And if we're being watched, they will easily tag us."

I sulked, annoyed with Zexion's answer. It was logically. He patted my shoulder.

"Relax. We have the whole day to think up something better than Dusk sentries."

We flitted by the rooftops, landing softly like cats on the prowl. I felt like a ninja. And that was when I saw the girl for a second time. She was poking around in a shop. Zexion was in front of me. He hadn't seen her yet. I cannoned into him, sending us to the ground. I rolled us both until we were hidden on the other side of the roof. Zexions hair was all over the place.

"Explain now, or loose your limbs," he was not very amused that I was on top of him, shoving his nose into the tiles.

"It's that freaky girl again," I whispered.

"So her companion mustn't be far behind," said the lazy voice of Leon. He was good. We'd been caught with our hoods down. I hid most of my face, and secretly pulled up Zexion's. "Now get up slowly, and I won't have to blow your brains out."

"Why are you attacking us? We haven't done anything."

"Your suspicious."

"What are you even doing here?-" I said, raising my voice.

"I'm going to do something," Zexion muttered. "Don't panic, or move."

"Oi!"

Leon was suddenly running over us. I'd seen myself leap up, and jump to the next roof. Well I'd seen my copy do that. Zexion had then hid us on the tiles. We staid like that for over half an hour.

Finally we fell off the roof. We were in some kind of plaza. There were run down shops lining the courtyard. "Over here," I called. The window display the ninja girl had broken was filled with all kinds of dusty jewellery. "Know what I'm thinking?" I asked as Zexion hovered by my elbow.

"Hm, yeah. Let's get all the Organisation thinking; _Oh look, I'm gay_."

"Half the Members wear ear rings, Zexion," I deadpanned, grabbing a hand fill of trinkets.

"Amazing, my point still stands thus."

Sarcastic Zexion is not my favourite of his many faces. "Give them to the fairies." Zexion finally became serious.

"Yeah. How come they didn't steal them before?"

"I don't think they could smash the window down."

"… what about their magic?"

Zexion stared at me. "Number Eight. Please don't tell me you actually believe in fairy magic?"

"Uh no!" I quickly said, waving my hands.

* * *

"Demyx told me how he died."

I was sitting in front of the fireplace, polishing a large bracelet. It had a fat ruby incrusted in the middle, and the symbols of The King all round the silver. Zexion was on the single bed, letting the light play off the fifteen rings he had on his fingers. He grunted to show he was listening.

"Is that normal?"

"For friends to share that kind of thing. Yes, Number Eight."

"Not that. I mean to remember how you lost your heart. You're supposed to forget."

"It may differ. He's always had the strongest believe we still have hearts. Do you pity him for that?"

I didn't answer. I watched the fire, letting the bracelet dazzle me with white spots. Zexion rustled around with the rest of the treasure. He held up something that blinded me with blue light. Between forefinger and thumb was a small blue hollowed out marble. It was pretty in a simple kind of way.

"You know Twilight Town?" Zexion asked, rolling the blue marble, looking like a cat that'd caught a fat mouse.

"Hm," I lay back on the wooden boards, letting the heat soak into me.

For ten minutes he was silent, shuffling around, finding something. Collecting data. At last he came over to where I was dozing off. He lazily stroked my hair to get my attention. He showed me four glass marbles. Blue, Green, Yellow and Red. He drew something in mid air. Slowly, it took shape, gathering the molecules around itself. A blue trophy appeared. The soft metal was shaped like feathers; twisting and bending like the wind. I took hold of the strong image. "What's this?"

He put the marbles on each tip. "A gift. That town needs a bone to gnaw on. I'll leave a note with it. 'Struggle.'"

* * *

On the fourth day we couldn't find the fairies. We took yesterday to plan out everything. Zexion finally caved into the teleporting thing. We needed to get higher up, so we were going to try and get to one of the turrets. As we hardly knew the place, so we had to concentrate extra hard.

As we walked out of the darkness, we met the wind in full force. "Co-ordinates off, sir." I reported. We were on one of the many roofs of the Castle. I tried to walk forward, but the roof was to steep and the tiles too slippery.

"Over there." I pointed to a small tower. Zexion was hugging onto the tiles for dear life.

"Have you noticed the sheer drop?"

"Yes."

"You jump first then."

I drew my self up. Judging by the wind, I would be blown slightly to one side when I jumped. The gap was a good few feet wide. I didn't feel quiet so plucky any more. I braced my legs, and ran forward. And slipped spectacularly.

My leg foot collapsed, and I came down on it hard. My knee hit first, and then that to caved in. I hit my chin, and started to roll. I scrambled, using my hips and trying to find a good footing with hands and legs.

"Here!" Zexion span on the tiles, and extended a hand. I clutched to my only life line, watching bits of rubble tumble off the sides, and into oblivion. "Sweet KingdomHeart…" Zexion sounded close to a nervous break down. I let out a very shaky breath, and tasted blood in my mouth.

If anyone could of seen us now, they would have been having a right old laugh.

"Try again?" I asked, actually starting to laugh myself. This time I balanced on the very top, arms spread out. I looked like an idiot, but I'd rather not be pancaked on the ground. I got on to the balls of my feet, and this time I didn't fall back down. I went through the same procedure, and kicked off. I ran down for a few meters, then pushed off hard on the very edge. The wind hit me full force, but I propelled myself forward by doing a neat flip.

My boots hit the bricks of the tower, and I fell into it. The pain I felt when I hit the floor was good. I knew I was alive. The tower was about five paces wide, and circular. There were about four open arches. Classical turret style.

I went to one of the arches, and waved to Zexion. "Your turn!"

Zexion looked white as he clambered onto the top bracket. He paused for a few seconds, then was sprinting to the edge. Too soon he was air born. All too late I saw he wasn't going to make it. But he surprised me. He threw out his weapon, and jumped onto it, and used it like an extra springboard.

The wind changed.

And blew him backwards.

I launched myself forward, and made a wild grab for him. Some how I found his hand. I pulled him in, stumbling backwards. I wavered, holding onto my precious bundle, and trying not to fall backwards down the spiral stairs.

Zexion was shaking like a leaf. This was raw fear. Fear doesn't necessarily come straight from the heart.

"It's over Zexy," I gave his back a rub. Then he slugged me hard in the gut. I fell backwards. The racket I made falling down the stairs could have woken the dead. I landed on the back of my neck, cloak falling around me and my hood covering up my face. I seemed to be doing the wrong thing a lot these days.

Something landed in front of me. I looked up, expecting Heartless. What I didn't expect was another human. I froze, wondering if I could just melt into the floorboards. The boy slowly lowered his hands, dropping some kind of blade to his hip.

I heard the pounding footsteps of Zexion. I jumped up, startling the boy. I grabbed his wrist, and pulled him behind the first door I found. It was some kind of closet. He looked indignant about being manhandled. I looked thought he keyhole, and watched Zexion walking passed, obviously looking for me. I summoned up an Assassin, and told it to tag him.

Finally, I turned back to my new companion.

It was weird. The kid reminded me of the Superior. "Who are you?" I asked.

"Who are you?" He countered, sitting down on an over turned bucket. I lent on the door, folding my arms.

"Fine. Why are you here?"

He frowned. "I… can't remember. But I know I'm looking for someone. Someone important."

"Do you know where you are?"

"No."

"Who brought you here?"

"Is this twenty questions?"

"Ah-no. It's just strange for a kid to be wondering around Hollow Bastion. Dangerous you know."

"What are those things?" He asked softly, rubbing his arms. "They come from the darkness."

"Heartless?"

"Right," he went silent. I sighed. The kid looked really sad.

"See that guy that was following me?" he nodded. "I'm going to get my own back. Want to help me?"

His marine eyes lit up.

"Oh. And if you won't give me your name, I'll have to make one up… let's see," I mimed thoughtfulness. "Gin?"

"What?"

"It's Japanese for silver."

He pulled at a lock of his hair. "I see. That's something you name your dog after."

"How fitting," I opened the door, letting in sunlight. The boy narrowed his eyes, bringing up a hand.

"It's Riku."

* * *

"Number Eight! What is this?" I didn't think it would last very long. Zexion had managed to sniff us out. At least he'd remembered to pull up his hood. He grabbed Riku by the ear, making him yelp.

"It's a boy. Being stuffed in a lab half your life, you might not know what it-"

"I know _what _he is! I meant _why_ is he with you?"

I'm thinking of keeping him as a pet. And re-name him fluffy. I managed to hold my tongue. "When you were finding me, didn't you notice something else?"

Zexion stopped ranting on. He nodded. "Yeah. Xemnas' scent," Zexion wearily glanced up, expecting to see Xemnas hanging from the roof. Actually I didn't blaming him for thinking that. Our beloved leader was probably insane enough to do that.

"Ta da," I lifted up Riku, and span him round once. I buried my nose into his mane of silver hair. "I knew I wasn't imagining it."

A small light bulb clicked over Zexions head. He'd made the connection. "You want to bring him back with us?"

I let Riku back down. I think if I'd ever wanted a kid of my own, I'd want one like Riku. Out of the hour I'd spent with him, I learnt a lot about him. He didn't speak much, but I didn't need him to.

"No. He was put here for a reason. Our destiny's were intertwined, but not connected."

"You're leaving me."

It turned out Riku had been killing off our Nobodies. 'She' was still a mystery to us. I hinted to Riku that there was someone else in the Castle. It would keep him busy for a few weeks.

"That was a waste of time," Zexion stretched, picking up Xemnas' umbrella. "We should tell Xemnas that the Castle already has a master. It's a dump anyway."

I packed away the rest of the trinkets we'd found. They glittered as I poured them into a leather bag. "What's stopping us from making a Castle?"

"Time, I guess. I hope for the both of us that kid doesn't cross our paths again."

"I think he will," I played with a ring, smiling. "He's the kind that naturally attracts trouble."

* * *

Xemnas swallowed up our report. We told him about Leon, and the ninja girl. And how the Heartless flow had lessened. Then about the three fairy, and the mention of 'her'. We missed out Riku. He even took in my idea of making a Castle. He called it the Oblivion Project. But he didn't promise anything. I was more than happy about being back in my own room. Xemnas had been marginally kind and given me a few days off.

My white wash room was just how I'd left it. I was planning to sleep for two days.

I was not planning on sharing my bed. That made it hard when someone was already in it. It was a small girl. It looked like she had just been dropped on my bed, and been left there. Her sand blond hair was spread like a spider's web, and she was wearing white rags.

She woke up went I shut the door. She looked at me. I'm not sure who was more surprised.

* * *

**END**

**Trying to get my time line right. So this is about the time Sora's left his Island, and Riku's been dumped in Hollow Bastion. It's been quiet a few years since I played KingdomHearts, so I can't remember if Riku did anything…. He's been touched by the darkness, but he doesn't have Ansem inside himself yet. But Zexion can still smell it on him. If… hm, that makes sense?**

**That goes for Kairi as well. Did it say when she lost her heart? Cos I can't remember. **

**And the ending kinda tailed off until I just had to put something xp**

**-Ixi**


	7. Seven of Heart

**Title:** Sleeping Memories 

**Genre:** General/humour

**Paring/s: -**

**Line:** "My name's, Axel. Commit it to memory. And I'm the most gorgeous guy you'll ever meet."

* * *

There was a mad scramble for my room once I informed Xemnas. Xigbar just happened to be in his office at the time. They took one look at each other, and disappeared at once. I quickly followed. They had re-appeared at my bed room door. They were still looking at each other. Rather like wolves.

"You first, your Highness," Xigbar gave a mock bow, waving towards the door.

"Don't call me that," Xemnas narrowed his amber eyes. They finally broke eye contact, and both grabbed the door handle. There was a snap as it broke under their wrestling match. Xigbar swore, and broke down the door with one bash of his shoulder.

I followed, interested. Zexion was in my room. How he got in I've no idea. He grabbed the little girl, and made a darkness portal.

"Don't you dare, Number Six!" Xemnas said, steadying a wobbling Xigbar. Zexion childishly poked his tongue out, and vanished.

"God damnit!" A breathless Vexen had appeared in the doorway, Xaldin right behind him. "It was Zexion, wasn't it?" He demanded. Xemnas brushed some of his long hair back from his face.

"Yes."

"We should have drawn straws."

"I'll go talk to him," Xigbar volunteered at once, nearly putting his hand up.

"I think we should all go. Where is Lexaeus? Wait, here he comes. Number Eight, stay put. And don't tell the others."

* * *

In five minutes I'd spread the word. The lower members were camping in my bedroom. Everyone was in their pyjamas. Luxord was upside down on my bed, reading a magazine. Demyx was leaning on his stomach, playing on his sitar.

Sai'x was on the ground with me.

"So there was a boy in Hollow Bastion?" Demyx asked, letting a few water bubbles encircle my head. "What was he doing?"

"Can we get back to the present matter?" Sai'x asked, bristling like a cat.

"I dunno," I leant back on one of my pillows, lazily drawing fire around the water bubbles. "He was quiet, and he seemed to just be wondering around. But I did find out he's trying to find someone. Two someone's," I added.

"Oi!" Sai'x slammed his hands on the carpet, bearing his strangely canine teeth. "Shut up and listen!"

Demyx hit an off key note, popping the bubbles. Luxord looked up from his reading. "Don't you think it's odd that a girl just randomly appears in The World that Never Was? And in Axel's room no less," Sai'x asked, relaxing his shoulders. "Something weird is happening."

"Maybe Riku was the first of the weird things?" Demyx asked.

"And that's not the only thing," I told them about the decrease of Heartless, and how Hollow Bastion was getting more attention. About Leon, and the strange girl, and the fairies.

"The Heartless would only be on the move is there was a strong presence's of darkness. Or a strong heart," Sai'x muttered.

"Why does Xemnas want another Castle in the first place?" Luxord asked, looking disgruntled. He didn't seem to care about the Heartless down count. His face was red from being upside down.

"Because this world doesn't exist," Sai'x said. I laughed.

"Thanks, Sai'x. We know that were not important, but come-"

"Literally. Day by day it's slowly vanishing. I wouldn't give us two years until this place was gone for good," Sai'x said, perfectly serious. Demyx's eyes were wide. I glanced at him, and tried to soothe his nerves.

"How would you know?"

"Xemnas told me."

"You brown noser."

"Hey! Don't you wonder where Xemnas goes when he disappears for days? He went to the end of our world. And do you know what he found? Blackness. Nothing. The world just ended. If he went one step further, he'd fall off, and be dead."

I scoffed, and fell back onto his lap. He tried to shove me off. I poked him hard in the chest. "So what your saying is that Xemnas wants to build a second castle to save us?"

"Maybe. Who knows."

"Hmfp. Xemnas talks a lot. It's a load of bull."

"Axel," Demyx looked at me I disbelief. "You don't trust the Superior?" I turned up my nose.

"As if. What about you're self? You believe we still have hearts. Isn't that going behind his back. You're not better than I am."

"Y-yeah… but I still trust him," Demyx said firmly. "He's our leader, right?" I just smiled sadly.

"You should trust him, Axel," Sai'x said, actually starting to stroke my hair. I dough he was thinking about me though. To prove my point he lent into me when I touched his cheek.

"Wrong person."

He made a noise of disgusted and shoved me off quickly. "So why are we being left out of the loop?" Luxord asked.

"Higher ups are so full of themselves," I growled. "I reckon they don't want to tell us because we're to young."

"Your so disrespectful," Sai'x kicked me under my bed.

"Just 'cos your half way up-"

"It's not just about me. It's about you. If you don't change your attitude sooner or later, you're going to end up in the deep end," I reappeared under Demyx's legs. I pulled him to the floor. I think he got a carpet burn on his chin. We rolled around for a bit, growling at each other.

"Well if we're lucky, I'll get the skinny," I said, sitting on top of Demyx's back. "She appeared in my room, so I'm not getting off with a free weekend in Twilight Town. Though that would be nice…"

Demyx grumbled and wriggled about underneath me.

"Ask tomorrow then," Sai'x said, getting up. "And tell us what happened."

"Hey hey, were do you think you're going?"

"To sleep in my own room," Sai'x said, looking bemused.

"Sleep over here tonight," Demyx said, managing to sit up.

"I think I'll pass."

"Come on. Luxord is staying."

"No."

"Please."

"No!"

"Pleeease!"

"If I say yes will you shut up?"

"Okay."

* * *

Having four in a bed is something I would not like to repeat. My bed is relatively large, about a queen size. Of course when you try to stuff four bodies in, things start to get cramped.

I was so tired that I'd gone out like a light, and let the others get comfortable.

* * *

I woke up when somebody started to shake me. Xemnas slowly got into focus as I opened my eyes. Demyx was next to me, curled up like a cat. He was nearly falling off the edge of the bed. My left arm had no feeling in it. Sai'x was sleeping on it.

"Nice to see you kept it under raps," Xemnas said. He looked no better than we did. It was clear he hadn't got any sleep. One side of his hair was sticking up, like he'd lent on his sleeve.

The others started to stir as I tried to dislodge myself from Sai'x.

"More sleep please," Luxord said from the far end, and buried his head under the covers, breathing deeply.

"Wake up," I shook Demyx by the shoulder, then hit Sai'x on the head. I was to slow to get my hand away fast enough. He bit it, then pulled it under. I probably wouldn't see my hand again. "Come on, the Superiors here," I moaned, scared that Sai'x would maul my hand from it's socket. Everyone seemed to work a bit faster after that news. Sai'x sat up, freeing both of my hands, and rubbed his eyes. Luxord resurfaced, and propped himself up on the bed head. Demyx rolled over.

"Morning, Superior."

"What do we have the pleasure of?" I asked, yawning and stretching out my arms in front of me. It was hard to say if Xemnas was enjoying our display or not.

"It's about the girl," he said, shifting from foot to foot.

"Name?" I prompted.

"She can't remember."

"Okay… how'd she get here?"

"She can't remember."

"Is she even a Nobody?" I asked, rubbing my head. I wasn't awake enough to deal with this.

"That we do know. She shows all the signs of one. But she's… different."

"How so?"

"She obviously can't remember anything, dumbass," Sai'x snapped, irritable about being woken up so early. He looked at Xemnas with heavy eyes. "What's the problem here? It's not that strange if she can't remember much. Hell, I'm more worried that it's a girl, and how young she is."

"It is a problem," Xemnas pinched the bridge of his nose, looking like he had a bad migraine. "She can't remember. Anything. Name, age, her Other. How she got killed. What may be the case is that she still has an Other out there."

Everybody stirred with interested. I glanced at Demyx. He was watching Xemnas with wide eyes.

"What's going to happened?" I asked. "Will you try and get her back?"

Xemnas shook his head. "As far as we know, all our Others are dead. We all have the same symptoms. However, this girl is different. We need to study her."

"Study," Sai'x said softly, glaring at the bed sheets. "Remember what happened last time you did that? What it did-"

"Sai'x!" The name sounded foreign on the Superiors tongue. It made Sai'x shut up at once. "Don't speak out of turn." There was a scent of darkness, and a portal opened up. Zexion appeared. For once, his fringe was slicked back. He'd run his hand through his hair so many times; it'd staid like that. Xemnas turned questioning eyes to him.

"The girl… she did something to Vexen," he said, breathless.

"Is he okay?" Xemnas frowned. We all lent forward.

"Well, no," Zexion's voice went up a pitch. The stress was obviously getting to him. Stress wasn't an emotion, was it? "Vexen made to go towards her, and she yelled 'stop'. He just fell to the ground. His eyes are cloudy, and he won't snap out of it."

I vaulted out of bed, and grabbed my cloak. Xemnas stared at me. "Hey, I found her. I get to do something," I said, putting the black fabric over my pyjamas. Xemnas nodded, and created a portal back up.

"The rest of you, stay put," Xemnas made it perfectly clear what he would do to those who disobeyed him. He pushed Zexion forward by the small of his back. We entered the portal. As we came out, I was blinded by light. The walls were pure white. There was a small table in the room, and it had wide windows, looking out over a small forest.

"I know this place," I said, looking confused.

"It's Twilight Town," Xemnas said, gesturing out the window. "We'll move her to a better place soon enough."

I finally noticed the girl. She was sitting on the edge of the table, looking frightened. The silent figure of Vexen was lying near her feet. Xigbar strode over to us, holding a clipboard. "I haven't gone near her," he muttered, pressing the board into Xemnas' chest. "She might… do it again."

"Have you checked Vexen?" Xemas asked, hardly glancing at the fresh data.

"Hell no," Xigbar yelped.

"I'll do it," I said, and pushed pass them. They did nothing to stop me. Can you feel the love? The girl turned frightened eyes to me. She had changed into a simple white dress, which was cut unevenly at the bottom. She was quite pretty when she wasn't killing people. She gripped her dress when I took a few steps nearer.

"Hey, kiddo," I said, smiling as gently as I could. I've never been a huge fan of little kids, the action tasted like watery sugar.

"Wh-what do you want?" She asked, blue eyes like pools of water.

"To talk," I said, opening up my arms. "I won't do anything nasty like those guys," I jerked a thumb at Xemnas, Xigbar and Zexion. "I'm not a scientist. I don't have any needles, or pills." She looked nervously at the other three. I got the chance to come a little closer. "Tell you what. I'll tell you about myself," she nodded. An 'okay' in any language. "My name's, Axel. Commit it to memory. And I'm the most gorgeous guy you'll ever meet. Just ignore those boring oldies behind me," she giggled behind her hand. I smiled encouragingly. "You've got something special about you too. Can I have your name?"

She screwed up her face, like she was in pain. "I-I c-can't remember," she hugged her self. "I'm empty, falling. I'm scared, Axel," she looked up at me, her eyes shining. I put out a hand, like to pat a dog. Xemnas was right. She was a Nobody, but she was different. I cupped her chin. She radiated heat, and slowly took my hand in her own. They were tiny and delicate. Painter fingers.

Behind me, everyone was holding their breath.

The girl froze, and gazed at my chest. She was in some kind of trance. I'd seen it once before. Some time we'd get large parts of our memories back. We would either go silence, or react violently. "You smell like him," she whispered, and buried her face into my chest, inhaling. "Riku…"

My non-existent heart skipped a beat. She knew Riku. Or her Other did at least. A flood of different memories came flooding into me. I didn't recognise them. I realised that she was giving me some of her memories that she couldn't unlock. I saw Riku. He was on an Island. Next to him was someone else. No. Two some else's. They were grinning, and waving. One of the boys had very brown spiky hair. The other boy I didn't know had his arm around him. His hair was like his, but gold. Their eyes were blue like the girls. I looked closely at the golden boy. He was mouthing something.

"Na… na..mine'," I said. "That's your name, isn't it? Namine'."

"Namine'? Yes. Yes! That's my name. I remember," Namine' said, smiling and crying at the same time. I looked back at Xemnas. He was deep in thought. "You need to wake up now," Namine' was out of my arms, and on the floor next to Vexen. Vexen stirred, and blinked.

Zexion let out a heavy breath of relief.

"Number Eight, who is Riku?" Xemnas asked, sounding dangerous. My smile faltered. I think I needed to do some heavy explaining.

* * *

**END**

**Hah. Axel's so full of himself :D**

**Five months ago. I'm not kidding this ruddy thing was written that long ago, I cringe as I read it, haha. I've written a hand full of other chapters too, I just had no time to update with exams and work xp no liiies**

**-Ixi**


	8. Royal Flush

**Title:** Relay of Life

**Genre: **General

**Paring/s: -**

**Line: -**

_I was four when I first meet Demyx_

My mother was the first person to tell me we had new neighbours. She wanted us to go greet them. I knew from experience that she would take over an hour to plaster enough make up on to make a drag queen faint. I remember the moving vans. Huge fat and white. They purred like watchful tigers.

The light flash of gold caught my eye, and a small boy about my age wheeled about on a bike. I'd stuck out my foot when the wheels crunch over the pavement. In twisted amusement, I watched the boy go flying. My foot hurt like hell all the same.

The bike was dumped on the grass, and the boy looked up at me, a mix of confusion and pain in his eyes. He then bursted into tears.

_A week later he got me back with water bombs_

_I was seven when we both drew blood_

A skateboard seemed a big deal at the time. It was black, with red flames on the hard bottom. Just big enough for two people. The largest hill on our street was a straight drop down. I'd never been on the roller coasters at the yearly fairs, but I suppose this is what it felt like. Demyx was reluctant to get on.

I promised I wouldn't let anything happen. He sat in front, and I hugged him round the middle, somehow managing to get my legs on the board. There was a culdusac way down the very bottom, welcoming us like a kiddy pool. I don't remember much else, apart from insane speed, then the wheels had hit some gravel and we fell off. And rolled all the way down to the bottom. My back had been skinned raw.

_Demyx's mother had forbid him from ever seeing me again _

_I was eight when I'd found out Demyx was being bullied_

He'd come to me at school break. We always sat together at lunch, along with a few other boys from our homeroom. He was trying in vain to hide a gradually swelling eye. I hadn't bothered to ask what had happened. I'd learnt over the years Demyx was clumsy.

However when he moved in his seat, I started to notice a nice collection of cuts and bruises over his arms and face. I'd pressured and pestered until he cracked, and muttered something about Seifer having _another _go. There should never of been a _first. _Pleasently, I'd excused myself, and stalked out into the courtyards

_I'd been suspended for a week after I got my hands on Seifer_

_I was still eight when I first dislocated my arm_

The collection of stones covered my hand in dust. I took aim, and threw again. It clattered loudly on the windowpane. At last, Demyx stuck his head out, eyes heavy with sleep. He asked what I thought I was doing at this ungodly hour of the morning.

I asked him to come down, and bring some cloth. Once he saw my arm, he was instantly awake. He watched me with his luminous eyes, then finally took up my dead arm. I winced a couple of times when he poked and prodded it the wrong way. All the while gratefully he hadn't asked why my arm was like this.

Demyx thrust the cloth he'd taken from his house, half way down my throat. Without blinking, he jerked my arm down, then up back into place. My screams of pain were lost in the material.

_Nightly meetings became a weekly habit after that_

_I was thirteen when I found out my fascination with fire_

Our science teacher could never control us. He's stuck us with an experiment, and left it at that. We were trying to find out what flame was dirty, and left soot remains when burnt in different oils and fuels.

The class was like an aquarium. Glassy eyed and mouths agape. The teacher voice reminded me of a rusty record. Some poor soul hit their head on the desk when we got to the punch line.

When the Bunsen burners were flicked on, somebody's gas began to leak. I recognised the smell from when our gas heater broke. First fuel. A teaspoon or smaller was put in a copper cup, and a match was lit over the fuel. It flickered, then up it went.

When I was little my mother used to hide the matches, to stop me playing with them. I had the strongest urge to just sit and watch the flame forever. It was a habit she wanted me to grow out of.

But the perfect opportunity was opening for me. Being left in a teacherless class room, with flammable liquids. Time to have some fun

_My family was found half a thousand dollars worth of damaged equipment and plaster. And I was suspending for another week._

_I was still thirteen when Demyx and I sat on the river bank_

The stopbank near out houses was one of the few sanctuaries left in the whole city. All the rest had been gobbled up by metallic monsters, or washed away by natural disasters. It had flooded once when I wasn't born yet. The water had raged all the way to the very tips of the trees, the bank just holding the water back. One more meter and the water would have eaten up half the city. Or so my older brother tells me.

I sat on the low hanging branches of the willows, enjoying the last of today's light. The sun was bleeding away into the river. Demyx was on the sand, lost in his own little world. He picked up his head, and spoke to me, even though he wasn't looking my way. In the few sentences he spat out, he slowly began to unravel the world to me.

"Why are we here?"

A question that nags at us all at some stage. Why are we born. Our purpose in life. If we were brought into this world, can we truly accomplice anything. Or is the human species really just wasting away on earth.

Through my childhood, I was willing to keep an open mind. I'd touched on the subject of God, but never believed strongly in Him. If there's a greater force out there, we have to find it ourselves, and not go worshipping something that isn't there.

Our talk on life, ended up on death. A matter I'd rather stay away from. Dying doesn't seem possible when your mind is young, naive. Your body just one day shuts down, and you'll never get up again. If the whole meaning of life… is just to die, then why are we put on earth? After our body decomposes, will our spirits live on? Demyx argues that they will, in the hearts of others. But when the hearts of other's die, the next generation will not know us. I drop the conversation sharpishly.

"I reason I was put on earth… was to meet you, Demyx."

* * *

**END**

**Wasn't that a crap load of sugar at the end? I dunno, I think their life would have planned out like this. I would have prattled on, but I got bored. Another little filler because I have a few in the back**

**-Ixi**


	9. Eight of Heart

**Title:** Thankyou for the Venom 

**Genre:** General/humour

**Paring/s**: - 

**Line:** "Level with me chickie. What's this 'Struggle' thing?"

* * *

It was snowing in Twilight Town. The sun was at its highest point, but it was obscured by billowing clouds. The clock tower in the distance was white tipped like a mountain. It chimed. I lent on the railings on SunSet hill. Twilight Town attracted me. There was something about it.

The snow covered gravel crunched under foot as someone ran up behind me. "Special delivery."

Demyx handed me a cup of soup. It was hardly out of his hand when I drank deeply from it. A small purple train chugged into view. As it drew closer, I noticed it had no driver. It was gone when I lent over the hills edge.

"Did you see that?"

"See what?"

"Nevermind."

I crunched the cup in my gloves, and tossed it at the bin. It hit the brim, and toppled in. "Ice cream," I demanded at Demyx, pulling out a few pieces of munny. Steam washed in front of Demyx from his soup cup.

"It's the middle of winter," he complained as we left the hilltop. A stray dog sniffed at out heels.

"Twilight Town has the best ice cream. You can't leave without trying it," I insisted. We walked slowly along the Terrace. A few kids were playing out on the streets. No one drove in Twilight Town. It was either by motor bike, tram of train. The best thing about being on Twilight duty is that you had to blend in. Off came the Organisation coats and into something better. I'd been with the group so long I hadn't wondered much from the colour scheme. Black jeans. Black top. Black jacket. The only bit of colour I had was a red scarf, and an assortment of belts and buckles on my jeans.

Demyx was a little more creative than me. Our choice on pants didn't differ, but he was wearing blue, not black. He had a few pieces of jewellery looped round his neck.

"And the beach. We can't leave without seeing that too," I added.

"Axel! Have you seen the weather?"

"So."

Demyx dropped it, finishing off his soup. The dog finally gave up on us, seeing us as greedy little buggers. A ball bounced pass by, and a group of five kids ran pass, laughing. We entered the main Twilight tunnel. Inside was gloomy, but voices bounced off the walls, remining us we wouldn't be alone. The sound of rushing water was underneath us.

Every time our sneakers clanked over the iron gates, the water bubbled up.

"How do these tunnels work?" Demyx wanted to know, as I stopped to inspect a map.

"Twilight Town is like a busy little bee hive," I mused, tracing our path with a finger. "The tunnels are like sewers, we're below the main town. The tunnels lead up to the surface."

"Brr," Demyx rubbed his arms. "Hate it if the tunnel caved in."

"I don't think they're that poorly built," I slapped the cold bricks. "Okay, just a little further. We should come out in Market Street."

The sun was started to peak out from the clouds as we resurfaced. The roads and footpaths were cleared of snow. On the corner of the street was a small ice cream stand. The man selling them looked like he'd rather be doing dentistry. Him being the patient, mind.

He shook his head when I asked for two. "Your crazy," but he handed them over. He was the one getting money.

Demyx looked at the blue Popsicle suspiciously. "It's good, trust me," I pocketing my change. Demyx took a lick, and pulled a face.

"It's… sweet?" he looked confused. "But it's tangy as well." Utterly confused.

"It's called seasalt ice cream. Twilight Town is famous for it."

I wondered aimlessly over to a corkboard. A large poster was pinned up on it. It had bright lettering printed on it. "_Struggle_? What the hell is that?"

"What rock have you been hiding under?"

An arrogant voice said from behind me. A boy with sandy hair was standing between a black hared boy, and a girl with bright green eyes.

"Go on," I said, crossing my arms, not rising to his bait.

"It's only the best game of this century. Two people with special bats face off, and, uh… struggle," he answered, like I was an idiot. I stared at him. I turned to the green-eyed girl. She seemed the smartest of the group.

"Okay. Level with me chickie. What's this 'Struggle' thing?"

"My name's not, 'chickie'," she said indignantly. "Struggle is a game Twilight Town invented. Two people, mostly boys, acquire specially made bats and face off. The word Struggle comes from how they fight until they are worn out, or loose all their orbs. You wear a special struggle suit with attached orbs. You have to get as many orbs as you can to win."

"Thankyou," I lent back, taking another bite from my ice cream. "That is how to properly explain something," I said to the older boy.

"I'd remember someone with your personality. Or hair. New?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"We're on vacation. Boss let us off the leash for once," I nodded at Demyx. "Leaving in a few days."

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Planning on asking me out on a date."

Demyx choked on his ice cream. The boy brushed it off. "Any one can Struggle," he tapped the poster. "How about we do it tomorrow?"

"What's in it for me?" I asked.

"If you challenge Seifer you can win the Struggle Trophy."

"Forget it. I won't be around long enough to enjoy it," I turned my back on them. "Thanks, but no thanks." The boy looked sour at being blown off.

"Hah, I knew a green horn like your self would never have the guts to challenge me," the other two were making wild hand gestures to stop him.

"What was that?" I growled, snapping the Popsicle stick in half.

"I said;" he raised his voice a notch. "That the baby wittle mousy is too scared to take on the mean kitty cat," he taunted in a mock baby voice. A small ticking time bomb went off in my head.

"You're on, you little shit," I said, smiling through gritted teeth. I heard Demyx heave a heavy sigh.

"Awesome. When the cloak tower strikes once tomorrow after noon, be at the sand lot."

"I can tell time, thanks."

"Really? I thought all that hair would take up too much of your brain space. My name's Hayner, by the way."

"Axel. Memorise it. It'll be on your head stone. 'Here lies, Hayner. Killed by a Struggle bat shoved up his a-"

"Axel!" Demyx cut me off.

"Better listen to your, boyfriend, hothead. You might end up in the emergency room."

I was so mad, it took all my self-control not to jump on him and pound him flat to the ground. I composed my self, and turned to leave. "Sandlot. Got it."

* * *

"Well that was smart," Demyx said dryly, attacking the dishes with a tablecloth. We were so used to the Dusks cleaning up after us we weren't used to doing manual labour. "We're not supposed to get involved."

"Live dangerous," I said, turning down my I-pod to listen to him. "I thought Struggle sounded familiar. Zexion gave them the idea." I picked the side of the couch.

"Is that the only reason why you joined? To test his game."

"Hell no. I gonna beat the snot outa that kid," I punched my fit into my hand.

"Your not used to handling bats, or swords. Your disadvantaged."

"Thankyou little ray of sunshine," I said sarcastically, and turned up the volume again, drowning out his words. I slowly rolled the broken seasalt ice cream stick in between my fingers. There were numbers etched along the timber. They must have been having a competition.

I began to think about Namine's memories again.

Funny how something can trigger off your memory. The Island they lived on seemed really empty. The sea enclosed them. No wonder Riku wanted to get off the Island. I brought the single picture she had shown me of the three boys. The boy with the up swing of golden hair immediately caught my attention. There was something about him. He and the other nameless boy were too similar. I'd considered they were twins, but it was something else-

My music had stopped playing five minutes ago. I had spaced out. Demyx was sitting with me on the couch.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked, drawing up his sitar.

"Riku," I said, not thinking about it. Demyx rolled his eyes. He knew that once I had a bone to gnaw on, I wouldn't let it go. "The memories Namine' gave me. The blond boy keeps bugging me… there's defiantly something about him."

"Please stop. You sound like a love sick puppy," Demyx groaned in good humour. I gave him a thump.

"He's out of place. Like he's not part of the group. And he's all fuzzy round the edges," I hadn't meant to say that. But as I said it, I knew that it was true. When I thought about him, he was out of focus.

"Well… maybe he's the boys Nobody?" Demyx shrugged.

"So Namine' can see other Nobodies? Wait...then why doesn't Riku have one? That doesn't make sense."

"Okay, then how about this. That boy is going to loose his heart soon, so Namine' can sense him coming closer. So that's why she can see him."

"Or, Riku already has a Nobody out there. Or the boy and Namine' are more strongly connected."

"Or or or! Get a boat so you can paddle!" Demyx broke off the conversation defiantly. He struck at his sitar, landing a few harsher notes. I got the message and shut up, sinking back into the arm of the chair. Demyx was frightened at the changes the Organisation was facing.

Demyx finally disentangled his fried nerves, and played better. He started to sing quietly to himself. He was a lot better than some of the other members I'd heard. I caught a few of the words. "Gimme all your poison… gimme all your pills.. and gimme all your hopeless hearts and make me ill. You're running after something that you'll never kill."

I smirked. "That reminds me of Xemnas."

"There's a song for everyone."

"What's my song?"

Demyx shrugged, hiding his face. I frowned. "Fine," I grumbled, stretching over the arm of the chair. "Can I have a try?" I asked. I'd never been great at playing the guitar, so playing a sitar would probably be even worse. Demyx looked very hesitant about letting me touch his precious instrument. "I won't damage it. Again," I added, guilty. Finally he let me have it. It was heavier than I thought, and had to prop it up on my leg. I picked a random key, which I was pretty sure was an A. Well it was an A on the guitar. When I strummed it, it spat out a very high pitched note.

Demyx was caught between amusement, and a grimace at his instrument being used so God awfully.

I tried again, but all I got was a series of squawks. "Stop laughing!" I yelled, embarrassed. I really wanted to throw the sitar across the room. "Ugh, how do you have the patience for it?" I asked.

"First off, you don't play it like a _guitar_," he growled out the last word. "It doesn't work like that. It plays off your emotions. I take it from that look, you're really mad. Oo-kay. Give me your fingers, and put them like this. That's better. Now channel all your emotion into the sitar. Just don't break it though," he added. I felt ridiculous, but I found that my fingering came naturally once I had the hang of it. It was like the sitar was leading my through some complicated dance steps. When every I tripped up, it stopped and helped me back up.

Once I'd calm down, the playing got a little lighter. "This is so weird," I said, my head full of different melodies. "I used to be terrible player at home." The sounds started to speed up, chasing around my head, until they started to crush my brain. I let go of the sitar, like it was burning hot.

"Head sore?" I nodded, giving it a rub. "The sitar stopped leading, and you had taken over. You'd have to practise for days to get used to all the noise."

I glanced across at the apartment clock. It was drawing close to eleven.

"I haven't had a good sleep in ages. Get off the couch, I'm sleeping here."

"What about the bed?"

"You take it for tonight."

Demyx nodded his thanks, and left the room.

* * *

My body was stiff and sore. Sleeping on the couch is not the best thing for your back. I rolled off the couch and onto the floor, groaning. Demyx stood over me.

"Glad I don't have to see this every morning," Demyx went over to the kitchen counter, grabbing his jacket. I looked up, hair sticking to the corners of my mouth. "Out for breakfast. I can't stand one more morning of you burning my corn flakes."

He was over reacting. I'd only toasted them a little. Only some had looked like shrivelled up raisins.

I hauled myself up, and started to smooth out the creases in my clothes. "Where to," I asked, flapping out my own fluff hooded jacket that I'd been using as a pillow.

"Brush your hair at least," he sounded exasperated, unlocking the apartment door.

I ran my hand through it once, just to spite him. I could see Demyx counting to ten slowly, raise his eyes up to the heavens, then tried again. "You look like a panda."

"Tattoos, Demyx. Not eye liner," I grudgingly assured him, jerking the door open, and pushed him out in front of me. I fumbled to lock the door, my hands already freezing up. It was so cold; my cheeks were turning red under the pressure.

"Axel, you're steaming."

"Why thankyou."

"No. Literally," he fanned his hand in front of his nose. A thick mist was slowly rising off me.

"Well hopefully it will pass. It happens sometimes. That is why, water and fire should never mix," I clapped him hard on the shoulder, making him lead the way. Once my body had adjusted to the coldness, I stopped creating the mist. I was very self consequence of how my feet burnt sizeable tracks into the snow.

Demyx showed me into a small café. The Twilight symbol was hanging over the door, and an invisible bell chimed when we entered. Inside it was toasty warm, and all different kinds of aromas played with my nose.

We sat at a small table, by the frost covered window.

A waitress dressed in a trademark uniform came to serve us. Her light silver hair was done up in a loose pony tail. "How can I help you?"

"Soup," Demyx rapped his knuckles on the table, shivering.

"Two donuts, and two hot drinks."

She looked at me, trying to prompt me. "Surprise me," I finally said, smiling. I just needed a boost, and badly. She tutted playfully, and bounced off. Once her back was turned, I reacted over and grabbed a packet of sugar.

Demyx raised his eyes skywards again as I dumped the whole lot into my mouth. "I hope you're paying," I said, stretching out for another.

"We have enough. Just. We can always send a Dusk for more," I was expecting Demyx to slap my wrist as I made for my third sugar rush. Unfortunately he had a bigger punishment in mind.

"Sir, we encourage our customers not to be bouncing off the walls after their meals," the tube was whisked away from my fingers. I grumbled for a bit, as the waitress set down our drinks.

As nine slowly snailed by, the café started to get busier. Our little waitress seemed to be the only worker. She was zipping around, her hair slowly coming undone from her pony tail. The bell rang out for the hundredth time, and what looked like twin girls entered. Under their thick jackets I could make out the waitress uniform. "Eva, Liila," the waitress came storming up. "If Mr Himmler hears about your tardiness again-"

* * *

Struggle bats are about two feet long. They are wrapped in blue hard plastic, and are in the shape of a baseball bat. The struggle suits are made for pure humiliation.

For the fifth time, my back hit the hard sand and I skidded for a couple of meters. Demyx adjusted his grip. "Back up," he ordered. I was seething that he'd somehow managed to reverse our roles. I scrambled up, and didn't wait for my pulse to simmer down. Demyx side stepped my lunge, and round house kicked me in the back. I teetered, and some how lashed my foot back round. Demyx blocked the blow with the Struggle bat. He pushed again, and I fell back onto my backside. A few orbs fell off my jacket.

I didn't get back up. My face was flushed, and my right side was giving me trouble again.

"Come on, Axel," Demyx relaxed his shoulders. "A sword isn't that much different from your old weapons."

I cleared my throat, dusting away some sand. "You're my enemy," I pointed at his face. "Shut up and stand over there."

Amusement flickered over his weather beaten face, but he went anyway. He picked up a few of my red orbs.

I stood up, gave my ribs a quick rub, and lifted the bat. I silently crept closer to him. I'd learnt to not just charge in. He mimic me for a few passes, then swung the bat close to my face. I ducked, and brought the bat up to break his nose. He blocked the bat, jarring my arm. I hissed and nearly dropped it. He hit again and again, trying to dislodge my bat. I bent even lower. Balanced on one leg. And swept my other under his own. He wobbled, and I hit his side. A few blue balls hit my face.

A few people clapped appreciably. I turned around. Hayner and his little rag tag group were watching us. In his hands was a sleek bat. It was smaller, and slimmer than my rental. Obviously it was custom made. He hefted himself up onto the platform. He slipped on a helmet.

"Early," he said simply, as Demyx slid off behind him. Hayner ready himself opposite me. "First person to lose all their orbs. Or to get KO-ed."

"Sure," I took a few steps back.

"Go Hayner!" I heard the girl called out. I glared at him. He bent low, and ran at me. Predictable. I started to raise my bat to counter him. I blinked, and Hayner was right in front of me. His bat came just as quickly, hitting me hard across the cheat. I'd no idea how fast he got. My back hit the ground, and my bat went flying out of my hand. Orbs scattered everywhere.

There were a few well trained groans from the slowly growing crowd. I rolled to the left, as Hayner chopped again. My hand shot out, retching for my bat. Hayner kicked it a few more feet away. My face was flush to the cold sand, my pulse beating hard in my throat. He lifted the bat for a third time.

I kicked his feet out from under him. He stumbled, and landed on his hip. I jumped over him, and grabbed my bat, swinging it round. He blocked it with his trained speed, and pushed me back to my knees.

I threw myself at his feet, and he tripped over me. I grabbed his ankle. The crowd roared. I got up, keeping him on his leash. He wriggle around, failing with the bat. I went to dislodged all the orbs on his body.

The crowd started to catcall. Maybe I was playing a little dirty. Hayner threw his bat at me. It bounced off my jaw, and I let go of his leg. He got up, spinning around with his bat. It hit my rib cage, and I fell back down. Again my bat left my hand.

Mad, I lifted my free hand, summoning my fire powers. "Bur-"

"Axel! No!" Demyx yelled at me across the platform. I hesitated. Hayner jumped at the chance. He kicked me hard across the face, and I lost all of my orbs. I spat out a mouth full of sand.

The crowd went wild.

* * *

The sea slowly ate the sun. It dyed the water a brilliant blood red. It calmly lapped up the sides of the wharf. I dangled my legs over the side of the rotting wood. Snow and ice made the wood slick and wet.

Demyx sat behind me, adjusting the ice pack on my face. I was having enough trouble keeping my ice cream up. That's how sore my body was. Demyx sighed every so often. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Demyx hummed in the back of his throat, and reclined on the beams. "You got your wish."

I flicked my ice cream, watching the droplets dribble over my fingers. I started to sniff.

"Are you crying, Axel?" Demyx sounded bemused.

"No! I-I… A-CHOO!" I sneezed, my whole body falling forward. My ice cream feel into the sea. I cried out in exasperation, then sneezed again.

"I think you've got a cold," Demyx's fingers found my forehead. "You're getting a temperature."

I shrugged him off. "I'm fire. Who heard of a fire element getting a…a… a-CHOO!"

I snuffled, rubbing my nose with my sleeve. I brought back the picture of Riku and the boys. When it flashed up, I could only see one boy.

* * *

**END **

**Four cameo appearances. The nameless girl is my character(yes she has a namexD). Liila and Eva are my joint characters with a friend. And Kahl Himmiler is her own character.**

**Hm, I wouldn't normally do this, but can somebody please drop a review ( because people actually read this crappy thing, so harhar you need to work for it! ) Even if you say 'Hey your writing makes my eyes bleed' I don't care XD it's just I'm not really very motivated to write up any more chapters. I have.. holy shit only one more after this, and the rest are just one-shotty 'random jokers' **

**So yes... give me reviews to make me work XD rawr. I mean it makes me annoyed that I've stopped working, so there you go**

**That. Ending. Sucked.**

**-Ixi**


	10. Nine of Heart

**Title:** 1001 Tales 

**Genre: **General/humour

**Paring/s: -**

**Line:** -

* * *

A pause. Then the explosion. Zexion jumped backwards. I snuffled pathetically, rubbing my nose.

"Congratulation," he said, flicking the thermometer. "You have, what we call, the common cold."

"I _never_ get sick," I said, looking indignant. "Can't you do something?"

"No. The cold is a bugger, and can't be fought. You'll have to wait it out."

"Potions?" I asked.

"Don't be ridiculous."

I slumped back; my head starting to complain loudly. My nose was upsetting me greatly. It was stuffed up, and I couldn't breath.

"This is what happens when you have ice cream, and go to the beach when it's snowing," Demyx scolded, handing me a tissue when I started to hack. "You can't even have time off." I groaned loudly at that.

"Your just watching Namine'," Zexion said, putting away the medical equipment. "Just pop some pills, and you should be okay."

"Won't she get sick?"

"More things for us to study."

I felt rather sorry for Namine' when they spoke of her like that.

* * *

"Afternoon, kiddo," I greeted. Namine' had been moved out of the White Room. She was back in the main castle, and her old room wasn't much different than her new one. She looked up from her bed; fingers curled round a thick pad.

She leant over her drawing when I tried to sneak a peck. "Only Xigbar calls me that," she frowned slightly, obviously she disliked that name.

I dragged over a chair, and straddled it the wrong way.

"What's wrong with your voice? You sound drunk," she started to colour again. She was using a thick brown crayon.

"How would you know that?" I sniffled again.

"Vexen told me that when people drink lots, their voice goes all funny, and slurry."

"I've got a cold."

"What's that?" Namine' looked up, interest sparkling in her eyes. I thought for a moment.

"It's a virus you can catch. It attacks your white blood cells, and weakens your immune system," I sounded like I'd swallowed a text book. Namine' started to fidget, loosing interest already. "It can cause your head to spin, or make it throb. Your nose gets all stuffy, and sometimes your ears or throat get sore."

"Hn," Namine' said, sounding bored. "Do all of you sound like scientists?"

"Not the younger members. The older members were all apprentices of Ansem, and some of us just learnt off them. When the Organisation was a little newer, we didn't do a lot of field work. We did a lot of school work. I've hung out with Zexion for to long."

"I like, Zexion. He's interesting," Namine' commented idly, flipping a fresh page over. She took up a violet crayon.

"Oh?"

"He tells me lots of stories. But sometimes he rambles on and on about the less important stuff," she pinched up her nose. "Stories are suppose to be for fun."

"Zexion likes to research things. So does Vexen."

Namine' hummed slightly, pouring over her paper. "Remember anything today?" I asked, actually starting to get bored myself. Namine' rubbed at the peeling corners of her crayons. She pinched her face.

"No. But I tried," she said, eyes fixed to her lap.

"You're lying."

"Am not!" She huffed indignantly. She deflated under my gaze. "I guess I don't have to lie to you, Axel. I don't like trying to remember. It's not my memories." I looked at her in bemusement.

"Course they are. You're whom ever you once were, and you share all their experiences."

Namine' pressed her lips tightly together, and flipped her picture to show me. "Look," she ordered. The doodle on the page was a black robed figure, with lilac hair. Next to him was a second person, in a white lab coat. His hair was long and black tied in a plait. "This is Zexion, and his Other. They are individuals."

"No. They're the same person," I jabbed at Zexion and Ienzo. "Same heart."

"But when I go back into my Other, I'll fade then," Namine' mumbled. "If me and my Other are the same, what'll happen to me?"

"You'll live through her, won't you? Namine'. I remember all my Other's memories. I experienced what he did, so we're the same person. Right?"

Namine' frowned. "I don't like that. It's like I was a thing that wasn't meant to be. I was born when my Other lost her heart. I was always apart of her, but asleep all this time."

"What a pretty way to put it," I mused.

"Did you look after that memory I gave you?"

"What memory?" I asked. I knew there was something Namine' had given me, but I couldn't remember what. Every time I tried to picture it, it hurt. She smiled slightly.

"Tell me a story, Axel," she suddenly rolled onto her back, throwing up her arms.

"Huh?" I blinked stupidly.

"A story."

"Only if you promise to tell me one."

"Okay."

"Let's see… once upon a time-"

"Axeeel."

"What?" I snapped, grudgingly putting my cheek into my palm.

"Don't start like that."

I sighed, blowing away some hair strands. "Alright, your _Highness_. Honestly. Okay okay. Hn… in a world, not so far away, there lived a Prince. Now this Prince would go out fishing every day, and bring back his catches to the chief in the Castle. One day, he didn't catch anything. When the sun started to set, his line finally hooked something. A small worm like creature was at the end.

The Prince threw away the worm into a well and went home. The next day the Prince set out on a pilgrimage. Meanwhile, in the well the little worm started to grow. It grew so big it coiled up the mouth of the well and climbed out. In fact it wasn't really a worm at all. It was a dragon."

I watched Namine' eyes widen slightly, clutching at her pillow.

"The dragon continued to grown, until it could wrap it's self five times round a hill. It started to devour livestock and humans. After a year had gone by, the Prince returned. Seeing what the worm had transformed into, he went to an old wise man. The man told him to wear a suit of amour with spikes. And when he killed the Dragon, he was to kill the first thing he saw once he arrived back at the palace, or he would be curse for ten generations. The Prince agreed, and told the King that when he blew his horn once he had defeated the Dragon, to release the hounds."

"What would that do?" Namine' asked, leaning forwards slightly.

"Well, the Prince wouldn't have to kill any humans if the first thing he saw was a dog. So off the Prince went, wearing his suit of spikes. No matter how hard the Dragon tried to crush him, the spikes would keep on hurting him. The dragon squeezed until he died. The Prince blew his horn as he came back to the palace. The king, to over come by joy, ran out to greet him. Forgetting to release the hounds. Unable to slay his father, the Prince was curse for ten generations."

Namine' puckered her mouth slightly. "It that a happy ending or not?" She asked, titling her head.

"I suppose it varies," I shrugged, tugging on a spike of red hair.

"Tell me another," she clasped her toes, swaying.

"This is one my father used to tell me when I was small," I said, bringing back the memory. "Their once was a mean king. He ruled over his land, and made everyone's lives miserable. But he was unhappy himself. One day her ordered his guards to go out and search for the wisest man in the land-"

"What not a girl?" Namine' interrupted.

"What?"

"Why is it never a girl?"

"Er.. well," I frowned, scrunching my nose. "Okay then. The king asked for the wisest woman in the land. A whole moon passed, and they finally came back with a pretty young girl.

_'Girl!'_ he shouted at her, as the guards pushed her to the ground. '_How can I obtain happiness?_'

The wisest girl in the world frantically searched for an answer to satisfy the king. How could she answer such an intangible question? '_Good sir,_' she spoke up, bowing. '_If you give me one hundred kilograms of the worlds finest silver thread, I shall give you your answer.'_

The king ordered his villagers to start to weave at once. Day in and day out the villagers worked hard to make silver thread. Impossibly, before the year was up, the wisest girl in the world was presented with her one hundred kilos of fine silver thread. The little girl frowned. _'Why, good sir. I am sorry, but this will never do. To find true happiness, you must also give me one hundred pounds of human hair!'_

The king ordered at his knights to gather all the villagers. The knights then cut off all the villagers' hair. They then searched the land, collecting more human hair. Impossibly again, before the second year was up, the wisest girl in the world had her one hundred kilos of human hair. '_Sir, I am very sorry once again,_' the little girl bowed low. '_This will never do! You are one step away from glorious, ever lasting happiness. I must have one thousand bucketful's of tears.'_

Yet again the King ordered the villagers to line up. He ordered them to cry. When they didn't, he made the guards whip them until they did. However, there weren't enough tears to even fill one hundred buckets. The King angrily turned on the wisest girl in the world. '_What is this?'_ he roared._ 'My sire, you see. Your villagers cannot cry one thousand tears over and over, because they have already found true happiness!'_ Cried the little girl. _'They cannot cry!' 'You have tricked me!' _He yelled, and chased her out of the castle. The next day, the villagers had left the kingdom, and the King was left alone. He never found true happiness, because of how he treated others."

Namine's face was curtained by her hair was she peered at me. "I like that story," she smiled. "Not the king. But it's got a lot of hidden meaning. And you didn't go on and on about it like Zexion."

"What does he tell you then?" I asked, curious.

"Well. He tells me lots of story when he was Ienzo. But he doesn't always use names. But I've always known he was telling me about his past life."

I chewed my lip for a second. Zexion never opened up to anyone. I wondered how good a friend he was to me if he could talk to Namine' about his Other. He'd told me once, about what Xemnas had done to them all, and I'd cocooned myself. I suppose he was expecting a fair exchange. I couldn't, wouldn't talk about what had happened to me.

"Again, Axel," Namine' graced me with a shy smile. "I like hearing you speak."

"Wait a second… you gotta tell me a story too," I reminded her. "All's fair."

Namine' screwed up her nose. "Alright. Not long ago, last week in fact, there lived a very lovely lady. She lived in a lovely house, with a lovely dog. One day, the lovely lady married a man. Unfortunately, this man abused the lovely lady, and soon left her and took all her money. Then the lovely found that she was pregnant to the man. Scared that the child born would be abusive like the father, she went to a psychiatrist. She asked the psychiatrist what to do, and he told her that ever night, rub your belly and tell the child

_'Please be good'_

Soon the lovely lady was well into her pregnancy. Soon, she married again. Unfortunately, this man was also abusive, and stole off with her money as well. Terrified that her unborn child would treat her the same, she started to rub her belly _three_ times a day, saying.

_"Please be good'_

Soon, the lovely lady was due to give birth…. Then a week went by a still she had no baby. Shrugging it off, she still told the unborn child to

_'Please be good'_

Then a month went by. Still no baby. A year went by. Still no baby! But never once did the lovely lady stop telling the baby to

_'Please be good'_

Finally, the lovely lady died with her unborn child. Confused, a team of doctors cut her open. In the belly of the lovely lady, was two very old men. They were both saying

_'No, after you'_

_'Please, after you'_

Because they knew nothing about from 'being good'," Namine' finished, blushing a little. I shook my head, laughing.

"That was ridiculous."

"I know," Namine' smiled. "But I like it."

"Thankyou," I said, meeting her gaze. I dropped it after a while, then looked out her window. "Alright, I better get going… you have a good night, okay?"

"I will," Namine' pulled up the covers, ducking her head. "You won't forget my story, will you?"

"Nope," I grinned, tapping where my heart should have been. "Sweet dreams."

Namine murmured a reply. I switched the lights off. Then sneezed.

* * *

**END**

**Dragon one came from Dragonology**. **That one my actually dad told me. And the other a comedian told our school xp**

**A small filler, I guess :D I'll put up a Joker tonight, cos this is pretty lame **

**-Ixi**


	11. Two of a Kind

**Title:** Distance Thunder 

**Genre: **Humour

**Paring/s: **-

**Line: **_And what part of the two way conversation were you answering, Axel?

* * *

_

Conversation was definitely lacking. Roxas was slowly tracing an imprint a cup from lunch had made. There was something unappetising about the way he swirled his finger round and round. His best friend, Riku, reclined next to him using Roxas as a support pillar. One leg was propped up, and a slowly growing mountain of screwed up paper balls was on his lap. He lifted one ball, took aim, and threw it cleanly across the room. It bounced off a third formers head. The kid looked around at once, and Riku casually looked away, painfully cracking heads with Roxas.

I supported my cheeks in my palms, letting the babble of students washed over me. It was the end of the school day. It was raining outside. And we were in the cafeteria waiting for the bus bell.

To be precise, Roxas and Riku were waiting for the bell. I'd never caught the bus in my short life. Neither had Demyx. Who was literally dropping off next to me. We lived a five-minute walk down the road. My mother said it was good exercise for me to walk to school. Bull shit.

By this time, Riku had already thrown another screwed up paper ball. It hit the same kid. Right on top of his head. I'll give Riku some credit. He _never_ misses. There was a whistling sound, and something small, fast and green flew through the air, and smacked Riku hard on the back of his head. He jerked forwards, and from the swearing, I could tell that hadn't been paper.

"Alright. Who the _fuck_ threw this!" He yelled, standing up, unsettling Roxas, and holding the item in charge of the crime. From my time spent with Riku, I knew he didn't have his mouth in the gutter all the time. He only swore when he was pissed. A few students looked around.

"What'cha gonna do about it, you little fag," somebody I couldn't see jeered loudly. A few well trained 'oohs' hollered out. Riku was physically shaking. He lifted the apple, and meant to throw it.

"Sit down," I said quietly. Hardly bothered to be fighting over something so petty. Riku glared, then slouched back down, fingering the green apple. There was a nice dent on one side where it had struck him. Just in time, and bell sounded out. There was a great flurry of movement as students stood up and grabbed bags.

Roxas, hand unsurprisingly sticky, shouldered his bag, and glanced at me. "You don't have to do this everyday, Axel."

I shrugged casually. "It'll be boring if it didn't."

Out of the year I'd known the two fifth formers, Roxas found it bothersome for people to go out of their way for his sake. It hadn't seemed to have sunk in we did it because we were his friends.

"But it's raining," Roxas pointed out, as Demyx bent to get his own things. Everyone knew what that meant. Rain and me don't go to well together. It had been overcast all day. Only when we'd hooked back up did the heavens open up and down came the rain. If we hadn't waited for the bus, Demyx and I could have missed it. I twitched my shoulders again.

"So."

Roxas turned to Demyx. "I'll be first in line to your funeral." He deadpanned.

"Make sure it's a closed casket," Demyx sighed, handing over my bag. I frowned.

"Oi!"

My temper wasn't that bad on rainy days. Riku was taping his foot impatiently. "Roxas, hurry up! It'll be bloody new years by the time we get on."

"Yeah yeah," Roxas gave a small flick of his wrist at us, then disappeared into the thinning crowd. We turned in the opposite direction to the others, and went out the main double doors. I was grateful for Demyx's umbrella. It popped open in his hands, and made a sizeable dent in the endless rain. He put it over our heads, and we walked down the flooding concrete stairs.

For the five years we'd been at college together, we'd always had the same ritual. We walked home together. We went to the allocated person's house and studied. Then rotated each day. Demyx had worked out I was the kind of person blessed with natural smarts, and didn't need to study for a test once. Hey, it wasn't my fault God screwed up and broke the mould. Demyx, on the other had, no matter how bright he was, always needed to study. He was gifted musically and artistically, but that was it. It was a shame our school didn't promote the arts. Demyx had a very open mind, and could create things out of thin air. Something I'd never been able to do.

Last year, I'd come best in class. Lord knows how that happened. I'd maintained an excellent grade through out the school terms yet never put in any effort of study, and that's how the award went. Best grade all year. You won it. Obviously, I felt like I hadn't deserved it. Half the class worked their asses off, and only just managed to scrap by tests. A lot more deserving that me.

I was in a very touchy mood as we splashed down the muddy footpath. My arms were crossed firmly over my chest to keep in what little warmth I had. I could see my breath as I breathed out heavily. Demyx's umbrella isn't the greatest thing in the inverse. I had to snuggle up close to make sure I didn't get splattered on. However, the bottoms of my jeans were saturated. And my shoulders were collecting a heavy mist of condensation.

You could stick a Popsicle stick into my hands they were so cold. At last, we turned into Demyx's drive way. I could have kissed the house, I was so happy to see it. We paused outside the door, and I turned my back on my friend, waiting for him to get out the keys. I looked over the neighbourhood. It wasn't the best area to be in. It was the main cause of my crude language. I started to shiver violently.

The fidgeting behind me stopped suddenly. I distinctly heard the words; 'Oh shit.' Which was weird, cause Demyx never swears.

"What's wrong?" I snapped. "Open the door."

Demyx looked at me, and I knew what was coming next. "I've lost the keys."

I swear I felt something drop. Like my brain had squeezed out through my ears and was making for the border. It's very hard to get angry with Demyx. All he has to do is lower his face a fraction, and give you his puppy eyes. _Aw, isn't he cute? Let's buy him some ice cream. _Even if he's crashed your car into the river. But not this time. I was so angry; I would have used his body to physically brake down the door.

I opened my mouth to suggest we go to my place. But then I remembered I didn't have keys either. The spare key happened to be attached to my car keys. And my mother had decided to take away my car, so I'd no use carrying either of the two around. I'd only plowed into a little old lady. Once. Then into the gutter to avoid further damage. The first day hadn't stopped me, however. I'd hot-wired the car. When my mother found out, she'd cut the wires. Not only was the car screwed, so was I.

My back was getting damp. The umbrella wasn't over me anymore. If it was possible, the rain was getting worse. The dark clouds rumbled ominously.

"Do you have a hair pin?" I asked. Demyx stared at me like I was insane. Instead, I reacted up and pulled out one of my own. Demyx opened his mouth, then decided it was better off not asking. "Be prepared for the worse," I shouldered him out of the way, and pushed the needle point into the lock. "You've no idea how many times I've lost keys for something."

"I can imagine. I remember when we went camping, four hour drive, then when we got to the cabin you'd forgotten the keys for it," I winced at the painful memory.

"Well it wasn't raining, now was it?" with an expert flick, the locks turned and opened.

The house was an open fridge. Nobody would be home until six o'clock, so there wasn't anyone to keep it warm. Demyx house also had very large, very open bay windows in the lounge, that let in most of the cold air. He turned on a few lights, and I attached my self to the heater. They didn't own a fireplace.

"Don't stay their all night, Axel," Demyx warned, throwing his bag down on the kitchen bench. "You'll catch fire."

"Well that's exactly what this place needs," I complained. "In fact, I bet I could-"

"No, Axel."

"Yeah, but."

"No!"

I frowned, and gave him my dirtiest look. He shot one back. We had learnt in form two about my problem. My problem of being a pyromaniac. Our science teacher had the misfortune of leaving our class unattended for five minutes with flammable gasses in the room. My family had been charged with over a thousand dollar worth of damaged chemicals and equipment, for ceiling plaster, brick and frame work. I'd then been suspended for a week.

I hadn't noticed the noise the rainwas making up until now. I was amazed I hadn't. It was pounding on the bay windows, and making a hell of a racket. Somewhere in the distance there was a deep rumble.

Satisfied that I could move away from the heater at last, I flopped down on one of the plush couches. I brought out a tin lighter, and started to flick it on an off. Demyx glared again. "Do you have to do that?" he growled.

"More heat," I lied. The lighter would probably give off as much heat than putting the fan bake oven on. Demyx lifted his arm, and threw something at me. I caught it and eyed it suspiciously. "It'll less likely give you lung cancer."

It was a green lollipop. I aimed the lighter at Demyx head. It missed and hit the sink. I wasn't particular found of sweets. Though Roxas had got me onto sea salt icecream, which was an acquired taste in my opinion.

"On second thought, that's my last one," Demyx hopped of his seat, to grab it back off me. I put the sickly sweet candy into my mouth just to spite him. He was on me in a flash. One hand went through my hair, and the other started to tug at the lollipop stick. He was a tricky little bugger. Every time I went to pull away, his hand in my hair would tighten, and bits of hair would part from my scalp.

Then the lights went out.

The clouds gave their loudest rumble yet, and lightening zigzagged across the sky. Something outside exploded in a shower of bright sparks. The bulbs in the house shattered, and electrical sparks shot out of the heater and every other appliance. Caught completely off guard, I jumped in surprise. Unfortunately, this unsettled Demyx. He was pitched forwards, and I fell off the couch hitting my hip painfully on the wood. Demyx's full weight hit my stomach, and I was winded.

My first reaction was the spit out the lollipop before I choked on it. What a pathetic way to go. Second was to sit up. I cracked my forehead into Demyx's nose, and we both yelped. The strangest, most out of place memory came back to me when that happened.

Asking Roxas to the ball.

No matter how many times you try and re-phrase it, it'll still sounds weird. I'd first meet Roxas when I was in fifth form. He'd come half way through the term, as a third former. Apparently at our school, they still inforced the 'buddy' system. I thought I'd kissed that goodbye at intermediate.

When the school board had put us together, I'd taken one look at his hair and asked. "Please tell me that's natural."

"No. I stuck my finger into a power point when I was little. Yours?"

"Toaster."

Love at first site. Roxas possessed a _very_ sarcastic tongue, and one of the genius things that made it work was that he always kept a straight face. When he died, I knew God would kick straight him out. He'd randomly comment on how he could see why the pearly gates were called that when they were obviously gold. One time _too_ many.

Then Riku had come a few weeks later. He was already friends with Roxas, because Riku had been close friends with his twin, Sora. I've never seen Sora. Apparently he was studying abroad, but when he came back, he would be going to a different school than us. Riku was actually a year older than Roxas, but had been put back a year because he'd shifted schools so many times, he'd missed out on basic school education. So in other words, he was God blessed with fantastic looks, but bummed out on the other side of the genepool.

I'd figured, once Demyx and I were in out last year of highschool, why waste our time inviting another student from our year to our last ball? So I'd invited Roxas to go with me. There was nothing in the school rules about taking a younger student with you. Or of the same sex. I'd much rather go with one of my mates than some girl I didn't know. Of course when the rest of my year found out, news spread like wild fire. Everyone started to jump to the most obvious and worse conclusions.

Being gay isn't exactly frowned on at our school. It's just bothersome. The teacher say that any activity, no matter what sexuality, is to be done behind closed door. In other words they didn't care as long as they didn't see. But I'm more afraid of girls than the teachers. They would twitter around like obnoxious birds if we'd even entered the same corridor together. The tension finally popped like a balloon when everyone heard about Demyx asking Riku. It would only work if all four of us went after all.

I found increasing amounts of girls arguing over the matter. We had broken their charts like a bad earthquake through a city. Riku, of course, had found it hilarious. At last, the truth had seeped out from somewhere. Once our year understood what we were doing, some people copied our lead, and started asking their younger friends to come. The ball had been endanger of the whole school coming.

"Three second rule!" We both shouted, and lunched for the lollipop. We both missed, and ended up in a tangle, my nose a few inches away from the sticky sweet.

* * *

From my reputation, I'd been kicked out of Demyx' house by his mother. It wasn't my fault half the house wasn't working. Another thing I'd forgotten. My mother was out of town for the weekend. Damn. I was supposed to ask Demyx if I could stay over, but then this had happened. And my mother had learnt, and put in double bolts. So I couldn't use my hairpin to break in.

I fished out my handy- dandy mobile, and called my help line. Roxas.

"For God's sake, Axel. It's hardly been two hours and you're already calling me!" His annoyed voice floated down the line.

"This is important, so listen," I cut across him. I retold my dilemma. "So can you help, Roxie?"

"What do you want me to do about it. A what have I told you about calling me that!"

"I need to stay at your place. And it's cute."

"Hey, do you remember what you did last time? My mum grounded me, because of you, and I had to pay for new carpet, and the stuffed up sound system. And that's even worse than the name. In fact, that's something you name a girl."

"I don't see the problem in that."

There was a short pause, and the sound of distance static. "And what part of the two way conversation were you answering, Axel?" Roxas finally asked, sounding weary. I was getting wetter by the second.

"Guess." I said suggestively, while wishing I had started this in a drier spot.

"You disgusting, pervert."

At least it felt good to get one over Roxas. "Look, Roxas," I half whined, looking up to the sky, and getting an eye full of rain. "I'm stuck outside, getting drench. Can you pick me up?"

"You know I'll be half an hour. You're by the park, right?"

"I don't care. Just bring something warm," I said, before the line went dead. I pocketed my life line, and surveyed the landscape. Nobody was on the playground today. I found the thickest tree, and lent on it. A few droplets splashed down around me.

* * *

When Roxas arrived, I felt like a drowned rat. He threw a towel at me when I opened the car door. Then an insult. "What kind of idiot doesn't bring an umbrella with him?"

I didn't answer, to relieved to be in his warm car.

The next week, Roxas was grounded again, and a law suite was set up so I couldn't be in the same vicinity with him for a month. That's what rainy weekends do to you I suppose.

* * *

**END**

**What a huge WASTE of gig on my ram xD**

**Sometimes I don't know why I bother. I mean I hate my writing, but people tell me it's good. And I love doing it. Erh. Mixed messages**

**I really like writing about Riku ( no idea why ) I was annoyed I couldn't fit more of him into the fiction. Out of all the KH fics I've done, the majority are Riku-_less._ And I'm not counting my KH/WoOz cross over. Riku was so terribly OC ( on purpose I might add ) it made me sick. **

**Roxas is pretty fun as well, only because he's got the same personality as me xD**

**So, anyfoos, a bit of a run on from Relay of Life. I've always wanted to write a KH school fiction. Dream complete I guess**

**-Ixi**


	12. Ten of Heart

**Title:** Rumble in the Jungle

**Genre: **Humour

**Paring/s: - **/

**Line: '**Now can somebody please untie me'

* * *

Never piss a guy off with pink hair. I'd learnt this the hard way. Don't get me wrong, the newest member of our Organisation was great in all… but we really picked an odd duck this time.

Everyone sat in awkward silence at the long dining table. We were used to new members popping up, but none had been this hard to start a conversation up. I could see that Xigbar was bursting to say something. When didn't he? However, I think the Superior was kicking him under the table to stop him saying anything rude.

Every time Marluxia moved a shower of, I kid you not, bright pink flowers appeared. We didn't know what to make of it. I'd never seen someone's powers being used so… flamboyantly? In fact I'd never heard of flower powers. It was pretty hippy.

Luxord was in danger of swallowing his fork; he was laughing so much.

Demyx was staring at Marluxia with interest. I knew he was going to be the person to ask the question.

"Are you gay?"

Where's the punchline you say? Well I think Demyx ate that one as well. Marluxia seemed to brush it off, and casually leant towards Demyx. A single petal landed on his plate. "I can be if you want me to be"

_Thunk!_

With a grunt of surprise, Marluxia fell backwards onto the floor. I'd thrown a salt shaker at his face. And that's about all you need to know about our newest member.

* * *

"Please! Pair me up with Zexion," I clutched the oak desk for support. The Superior narrowed his glowing eyes. "I'll do anything.. and when I say that, I mean it."

"Be quiet," Xemnas snapped, slamming his hands flat to the desk making me jump in surprise. "Listen, Number Eight. This is your punishment, so you can take your medicine with little whinging and moaning. You got Number Nine lost in the first place," he added tartly.

I pressed my lips together. "Excuse me, sir. But I don't like to be blamed for Number Nine's own stupidity and might I add his clumsiness."

"Oh yes. He supposedly 'tripped' and fell head first into a portal you opened up," was that sarcasm? The Superior never cracked jokes.

"Okay, maybe my foot might have been in the way, but in my defence, I didn't see him in the first place," I held up my hands as if to reflex Xemnas' glares.

"Never the less," Xemnas looked at his desk in a tired manner. "You're to find him, and bring him back. With Number Eleven's help."

I ground my teeth in pure indignation. "Wait, hear me out," I deemed it safe to put my hands back on his desk and lent down. "I don't see why it can't be Zexion. He can just smell Demyx out," I reasoned.

Xemnas' face twitched for a second. "As marvellous as Number Six's.. sniffing abilities are, I still want you to-"

"Come on!" I said, raising my voice a few notches. "He's like a dog for Kingdom sake!"

"Do you people mind!" The rather disgruntled voice of Zexion floated out. Oops. He stalked over to us, a white mask covering up his mouth and nose. "As much as I'd love to go with you," his voice dripped with contempt. "I can't, as you can see."

"Oh great. Did you catch my cold?" I asked, eyeing the mask.

"No I did not," he growled. "Thanks to Number Eleven's annoying habit of casting his powers left right and centre, I've reacted to the flowers."

"So you have allergies," I grumbled, almost throwing my arms into the air. "So you can't-" I nearly cracked another nose joke, but decided not to. "-come.. alright fine, I'll take the pretty boy with me."

* * *

Smack. Fwap.

I pushed aside a few more branches, then let them sail back to hit my comrades face. I smirked each time I heard the satisfying thwack. "Axel," Marluxia growled behind me. "Do you mind?"

"No, not really," I peered over my shoulder.

Marluxia brushed roughly passed me, tail swishing dangerously. "Just be careful in the under growth, never know what's hiding in there," he jeered. A second later I fell flat on my chest, the breath _whoosh_ing out of my lungs. Vines had wrapped around my ankles and pulled me to the ground. I struggled to get up. No dice.

The wolf ahead of me grinned toothily. "Marluxia, you better let me go," I warned, snapping at the vines.

With a flick of tufted tail, Marluxia strode off, leaving me behind. "MARLUXIA!" I roared after him. I frowned, trying to wiggle my way out. Something tittered in the tree above me. Glancing up, I spied moving shapes among the lush trees.

Something heavy and furry landed in front of my face. "What's this?" it asked, prodding my soft nose.

"That's a tiger, that is," another one chittered, it's clawed hands fiddling with it's golden fur.

"Rather a long way from home, isn't 'cha?" the first one that had spoke asked. I snarled, and snapped at it. With a shriek of alarm, they all skittered a few metres back. Another growl rumbled in my throat as.. what ever it was moved closer again. "Look!" It pointed excitedly. "It's tied down."

"What should we do?" mumbled a brown hared one. "Should we take it with us?"

"Yes yes," the first one nodded. It started to stroke my head. "Such pretty fur.. I'm sure your hid will look lovely with the others," it grinned, showing broken, ugly teeth. "Let's get some more vines, to make sure it won't escape!" it barked at it's companions.

Soon, I was on my back, tied up to a thick tree branch, and being hoisted through the trees.

I had no idea where these things were taking me.

My rump hit the low branches every so often, making me wince in pain. A few leaves swatted my face, brushing my whiskers. Finally, the golden creatures swung me into a clearing. It looked like a run down old temple. White stones littered the ground, and pillars of white marked the edges.

I was dumped roughly on the ground, back on the floor. I growled indignantly. The things lopped away, calling out; "King Louie!"

Who ever this.. king was, he didn't appear to be home. Using the time, I pulled my paws down, and started to gnaw my way free. There was a screech and I was ripped away from the vines.

The ground jumped, as something large made it's way over to me. The creatures had me pinned to the ground. The thing was large, much larger than the other critters. He was a soft gold, and had a wide flabby mouth. He lent down to peer at me.

"What's this?" he asked.

"A tiger," one piped up.

"I can see that, you idiot," he snapped, hitting him over the head.

"Ow!" he whimpered. "We-we thought we could use his pretty fur for a rug.."

"What an excellent idea!" He gushed, brightening up. "Put him with the other prisoners," he ordered. Again, I was hoisted off my paws, and being swung up the stone steps. I hit my head on each one.

I was then tossed tail first into a cage. It had been made from the white stones, and old metal bars they must have dug up from somewhere. The bars clanked shut. Suddenly I felt fits pummel my fur, and somebody yelling.

"Stop it!" I roared, and whoever it was, backed off at once. I pivoted on my back, to see who was trying to attack me. I saw an upside down brown skinned boy. He was staring at me with savage eyes.

"You must die," the boy said, holding up a sharp looking rock. "You killed my people."

"No wait," a timid voice said, and a golden furred creature appeared on the kids shoulder. The fur around his face was fluffed out like a lions. "Don't hurt him, he's been taken like us."

"But, Demyx .. he's a tiger," the boy tried to explain. Everything else the kid said, I was oblivious to.

"Demyx?!" I yelped. "Is that you?"

The creature stared at me with a confused look.

"Oh you idiot," I sighed. "It's me, Axel! Oh thank God. Now Xemnas won't kill me, 'cos I found you!" I said ecstatically, rolling around on my back. "Now can somebody please untie me!!"

* * *

After a lengthy discussion, with many questions on Demyx' part, everyone had their story straight. The little boy was Mowgli, and had grown up in the forest raised by a pack of wolves. He's been taken by the apes because they believed they could give them fire. Demyx had found Mowgli in the forest when he had been separated from his friends ( a panther and bear ) and had come for the ride. Demyx was apparently a Golden Lion Tamarin, whatever that hell that was.

"Well," I sighed, my tail twitching absentmindedly. "Now we have that sorted out, we can go home," I nodded at Demyx's cherub like face.

"Hold on," he interrupted with a frown. "We can't just leave Mowgli."

"..Yes we can. Demyx, we're not supposed to interfere with the worlds," I growled quietly. "And this world doesn't even have heartless."

"But… but we can't just leave him," he whined pathetically. My lip curl in distant. "Look," he tried to reason with me. "You have fire powers. So, the apes will be happy if you show them. Then Mowgli can be set free."

I scowled, my whiskers pulling up with the action.

Five minutes later, I was melting the steel bars. We then found ourselves surrounded by angry monkeys. They must have smelt the burning metal. "You want fire?" I asked, stepping forward. "Here!" I took a breath, and blew out, and flicker of flame escaping my mouth.

Then a few things happened at once. Little darkness portals opened up around us, jittering heartless appearing. The monkeys all started to panic. A jet black panther and blue bear came crashing through the jungle, screaming bloody murder as another pack of heartless chased after them. By creating the fire, I'd weakened the worlds 'heart' so the heartless had found their way in.

The way worlds worked was like this. The world is created. As it's created, the world's life is planned out. Anything that disrupts the worlds life, can cause a massive rip in time, weakening the world for about a second before it repairs it's self. It's a little like time travel. If you destroy something, then something bad happens. Technically, nobody should be able to travel to different worlds. Our presents enough was disturbing the balance.

I frowned at Demyx, who grinned sheepishly at me.

"This is all your fault!" I roared, as we launched ourselves at the heartless.

* * *

"And that's what happened," I finished, as I flicked a few smudges of ashes off my nose. Behind me, Demyx had collapsed into a high back chair; his face cut in many places. The only person unharmed, was Marluxia.

Xemnas and Xigbar both had 'the deer in the head lights' look. Xigbar had one hand on Xemnas's shoulder; the other was pinching the bridge of his nose. One was to stable his body, the other to stable his train of though.

"So… you started a forest fire?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said soberly. "On the bright side, it wiped out the heartless."

"On the down side, you nearly wiped out the world," Xemnas spat out. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Well obviously you _weren't _thinking."

"The world will repair it's self," I said nervously, twiddling my fingers.

"Do you know what you just caused?" Xemnas asked dangerously, deeming it safe to stand on his feet without having the need to sit back down. "You just caused a bottleneck to appear. No wait," he stared at the wall, deep in thought. He glanced at Xigbar. "I want you, and Number Ten to go back, and rewrite time."

"Since when do you care?" I yelled incredulously.

"I don't 'care'," he smirked. "I just don't approve of neophytes screwing up! If a world disappears, the whole of the universe will be thrown out of balance. Like it isn't out of balance enough," he muttered. "The point is, now that world had darkness in it. There's a high chance the Keyblade wielder will go there."

My shoulders literally caved in. Of course. "Now, the pair of you can bugger off," Xigbar said, pushing them towards the door. "We picked up a new member while you were away. You can help her settle in."

"'Her'?" I inquired hesitantly.

"Don't worry, her personality is electrifying."

* * *

**END**

**-shot for corniest ending eva and probably title as well-**

**I could have kept prattling on. I'd like to move this along frankly**

**-Ixi**


End file.
